Eat Safe Food This Summer - Food Safety Tips

18 November 2009

I expect a stomach bug when I'm travelling through Asia. Take my trip to Bangladesh a few years ago, I developed an intimate relationship with a toilet bowl. I could have done many interesting things while staying in Bangladesh, like sightseeing around Dhaka, but no, I spent days cocooned in my hotel room within firing distance of the toilet bowl thanks to a dose of food poisoning.

I thought I'd learned from that experience - don't order a stuffed chicken breast for dinner in a developing country, not even at an upmarket hotel like the Hyatt. And if you are eating a meal and it tastes 'funny' then for goodness sake (I said to myself) don't keep eating it!

Food Poisoning - A Reality in Bangladesh and Auckland

But, a few years of stomach-bugless existence had left me feeling less cautious. And I didn't expect (note the past tense) a local cafe in Auckland to ever pose a food safety problem. I had no idea when I rolled up to my regular cafe on Friday to order my usual lunch - a chicken wrap and a trim chai latte - exactly what my chicken wrap would contain this time.

I love a good chicken wrap, but this week a couple of mouthfuls tasted a bit 'funny'. But, did that ring any alarm bells? Did my brain say to me - remember your Bangladesh-toilet-bowl experience?! Did I stop eating the 'funny' tasting chicken wrap?!

Well no. I just kept on eating, because a) I was hungry and b) I just couldn't believe I could be eating stomach-bug-inducing food in Auckland. But a mere 30 minutes later my stomach was gurgling away and I knew trouble was a coming...

Stomach Bug Lessons To Be Learned...

By Friday night the rumblings were getting bigger and in the early hours of Saturday morning serious stomach cramps ensued. Over the next 24 hours a few tears were shed in between severe abdominal cramps, urgent runs to the toilet (no pun intended) and getting my beloved to find painkillers for his very unhappy wife (that's me of course).

I can honestly say that a chicken wrap is no longer my favourite cafe lunch. And I am kicking myself that I didn't spit out that first 'funny' tasting mouthful. More importantly, I feel sure I've learnt my food safety lesson this time.

Each year about 200,000 New Zealanders contract a foodborne illness. In Australia it's estimated that a whopping 5.4 million cases of food poisoning occur each year. So I'm certainly not the only one. And while we depend on our governments to control the food safety in cafes, restaurants and takeaways, its important to note that around 50% of food poisoning cases occur in the home (according to NZ statistics). 

Tips For Good Food Safety In The Home

Summer time means more home-entertaining, barbecues, picnics and sharing food with friends. The last thing you want to do is send your friends home with a stomach bug. Following is a list of food safety tips for you, to reduce the risk of food poisoning, I highly recommend having a read and brushing up on the latest advice:

1. Clean Your Kitchen Sponges - place your rinsed, damp kitchen sponge or dishcloth in a microwave on high for three to four minutes to kill off most bacteria and viruses. Be careful when removing it though, it'll be steaming hot!
   
2. Use Separate Chopping Boards - for raw and cooked meat, fish, vegetables and bread.
3. Use A Meat Thermometer - at 75^oC poultry juices run clear and minced meat and sausages should have no visible pink, at 65^oC fish should be cooked. A great Christmas present idea is the BBQ tongs with built in thermometer for any BBQers in your family!
4. Leftovers - refrigerate or freeze within two hours, cool in a shallow tray then store in a covered container, don't reheat leftovers more than once, eat leftovers within two days, when in doubt - throw it out.
5. Clean, Cook, Cover and Chill - the four C's provide us with a simple set of food handling skills to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses in the home. Read more now about the Four C's.
6. Plan Bulk Food Purchases - a great way to save money is to bulk buy foods, but its only a good deal if the food is eaten and doesn't end up rotten and thrown in the bin. Before you bulk buy plan out if you can freezer/store in smaller portions, when you would consume it by and if that can be done before the 'Use By' date on the package.
7. 'Best Before' versus 'Use By' Dates - The 'Best Before' date on food packages is nominated by the manufacturer as the date before which the food will be of best quality for the consumer. The food quality will decrease after this date, though it will remain safe for consumption for a reasonable time after the 'Best Before' date. However 'Use By' dates on food packages are non-negotiable, food must be thrown out once it has passed the 'Use By' date because of health and safety concerns (e.g. once past the Use By date the food product is likely to contain a level of microorganisms that may pose a significant risk of foodborne illness). Often foods near their 'Use By' date will be on special, be aware of the date and consider whether you will use all of the product before that date - otherwise the special price is no great deal for you.

Sources: New Zealand Food Safety Authority, Australian Food Safety Information Council.

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About The Author

Jennifer Bowden Nutritionist, MSc (Dist), BSc (Hons) - Human Nutrition

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