Storing and preparing food safely
Key takeaways
- Proper food storage prevents contamination, reduces food poisoning risks, and cuts down on food waste.
- Keep raw and cooked foods separate to avoid spreading harmful bacteria.
- Cooling, storing, and reheating food correctly prevents harmful bacteria growth.
- Freezing and defrosting food safely keeps it safe and helps maintain quality.
How to store and prepare food safely
Did you know that food that is handled or stored incorrectly can be contaminated with harmful bugs, or bacteria, that can lead to food poisoning? Storing and preparing food correctly is important to ensure it is safe for us to eat and helps it last longer, which cuts down on food waste.
.jpg?format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Tips to keep your food safe
Before preparing food
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before handling any food.
- Make sure kitchen surfaces, cutting boards and utensils are clean before using.
Handling raw and cooked foods
- Keep raw meat, seafood and poultry (and their juices) away from cooked or ready to eat foods. Raw meats and seafood can contain harmful bacteria which can lead to food poisoning.
- Use different cutting boards and utensils for raw and cooked foods or clean well between use.
- Wash fruits and vegetables under running water before eating or cooking.
Cooking and reheating safely
- Cook food to a least 75°C to destroy harmful bacteria.
- Ensure foods like minced or rolled meat, burger patties, and chicken are cooked through to the centre.
- Reheat leftovers to 75°C to kill any harmful bacteria.
Cooling and storing leftovers
- Cool cooked food quickly to prevent bacteria growth. Stir regularly or divide into smaller containers to cool quicker.
- Avoid putting hot food straight in the fridge – this can increase the fridge temperature putting other foods at risk.
- Store leftovers in airtight, labelled containers with dates for easy tracking.
- Don’t leave cooked or perishable foods out of the fridge for more than 2 hours.
Freezing and defrosting food
- Freeze food at or below -15°C in airtight, dated containers.
- Defrost frozen food in the fridge on the bottom shelf or use a microwave – make sure it’s fully defrosted before cooking or reheating it.
- Do not re-freeze defrosted food.
How long to store foods
Eat food within its use-by date and use leftovers within 3 days, particularly high-risk foods like:
- Cooked grains (e.g. rice and pasta)
- Meats, chicken and seafood
- Ready-to-eat salads (e.g. coleslaw)
- Dairy products
- Eggs and foods containing eggs
Freezer storage times vary between different foods, up to 12 months. Make sure to regularly check dates on containers and look for signs of spoilage or freezer burn.
Who is at higher risk?
There are certain groups that are at higher risk of food-borne illnesses, such as:
- Pregnant women, and their babies.
- Older adults
- People with weakened immune systems
What’s next?
Take your cooking to the next level with our heart-healthy cooking tips. Discover simple techniques, heart-healthy food swaps, and cooking methods to create delicious, healthy meals.
More healthy eating tools and resources
- We have plenty of resources to help you follow a heart-healthy eating pattern.
- Build your skills and confidence in the kitchen with our tips and tools for planning, shopping, and cooking healthy meals.
- Explore our full range of recipes for delicious, budget-friendly and easy to prepare heart-healthy meals you can make at home.
- Discover our collection of free recipe e-books, from ‘Family recipes on a budget’ to '5 Ingredient Recipes' plus many more.
- Get four weeks of easy-to-follow dinner recipes, shopping lists, tips and other helpful information to make healthy eating easy with our free Heart-Healthy Dinner Plan.
- Looking for more information? Explore our resources on healthy eating and recent articles.