We all love summer, but in the summer heat we need to be extra vigilant with our meat food safety.
There are safe and unsafe ways to thaw frozen, and treat cooked meat, fish and poultry. Here are a few meat food safety tips.
When you are thawing:
- The best way to maintain the quality is by slow thawing in the refrigerator. All it takes is a bit of time!
- Remember the larger the cut of meat the longer it will take to thaw so sometimes the best option is to put it in the fridge to thaw the day before you want to cook it.
- Make sure liquid from the thawing meat does not drip onto and contaminate other foods; a high sided dish is best to sit the meat in.
- Thaw your raw meat, fish and poultry on the bottom shelf of the fridge and on a tray if there is a chance that the packaging may leak so it doesn’t drip on other foods.
- Thaw frozen meat in its original freezer wrapping or if you have removed it from its packaging ensure it is covered.
- Thawing meat at room temperature is not recommended. The meat will thaw at different times with the surface of the meat thawing first, reaching warm temperatures which puts it at greater risk of spoiling.
- Don’t allow raw meat, fish and poultry to come into contact with other foods including cooked meats.
- Use separate chopping boards for raw meat, fish and poultry or thoroughly scrub the one you are using with hot soapy water before using for other foods.
- Be aware of the tongs and utensils you have used on raw meat and avoid using these on your cooked meats, fish and poultry. This is at the BBQ too!
- Wash any dishes that have been holding raw meats, fish or poultry thoroughly in hot soapy water before reusing.
- Avoid carving cooked meat on the board used to hold or cut raw meat unless you have washed it thoroughly before you cut the cooked meat.
- Once you have served your meat, cover any remaining meat and once cooled cover and place in the fridge in a separate shelf to raw meats, fish and poultry.