Spelthorne Borough Council

Providing Quality Services to the People of
Ashford, Laleham, Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell & Sunbury

Food hygiene tips

Don't wash meat or poultry before cooking it - cooking kills the bacteria and washing it spreads the bacteria around the sink kitchen surfaces and taps
Proper cooking kills bacteria - unless food is piping hot all the way through it could make you or your family ill
Food poisoning cases double in the summer - cook your burgers, chicken and sausages until there is no pink meat left
Only a few bacteria in a piece of undercooked chicken can cause illness - cook it thoroughly and do not touch cooked meat with utensils or dishes that have touched raw meat
Many of us don't wash out hands properly - wet with warm water, use soap (preferably liquid soap), wash thoroughly including between your fingers and your thumbs, rinse, dry (preferably with a paper kitchen towel which you can use to turn off the tap)
Your fridge may be too warm - our fridges should be approximately 5^oC. Food poisoning bacteria do not grow so fast when they are cold. Do you know how cold your fridge is? If not why not get a small thermometer from a hardware or cook shop? You might be surprised
Unwashed fruit and vegetables may carry deadly bacteria - wash fruit and vegetables before eating to remove harmful E.Coli and other bacteria
Use-by dates really do matter - particularly if your fridge is not cold enough. A food poisoning bacteria called Listeria will live quite happily in a cold environment, so keep foods for as short a time as possible.