Welcome crew member of the recently re-named FSA Chillibean. Thanks for saving Captain Neifion, Ceri and the crew and for bringing along potential new recruits to the ship. Show them around the 4 Cs and explain their relevance to food safety using the handy hotspots which offer more information. Show everyone you know and they too can help prevent food poisoning.

All aboard.

Spread the word so others don’t spread the germs.

Effective cleaning removes germs/bacteria on hands, equipment and surfaces, helping to stop harmful bacteria from spreading onto food.

Hands
Wash hands before you prepare, cook or eat food, where possible with warm soapy water.

Dish cloths
Wash or change dish cloths, tea towels, sponges and oven gloves regularly and let them dry before you use them again. Dirty, damp cloths allow bacteria to breed.

Utensils and serving dishes
Keep all utensils and dishes clean before preparing food to avoid cross-contamination.

Ceri’s top tip:
Warm water will ensure that the soap or detergent lathers up properly. It is important that the soap lathers so it can be more effective at removing the bacteria. If it's not possible to wash your hands (for example at a picnic), use a wet wipe to clean your hands. Then use a sanitiser on top to sterilise them.

Cross-contamination is what happens when germs/bacteria or other microorganisms are transferred from one object to another. Cross-contamination is most likely to happen when raw food touches or drips onto ready-to-eat food, utensils or surfaces.

You can avoid it by following Jean’s checklist:

Preparing food hygienically

• Use different utensils, plates and chopping boards for raw and cooked food
• Wash utensils, plates and chopping boards for raw and cooked food thoroughly between tasks
• Make sure you do not wash raw meat
• Wash your hands after touching raw food and before you handle ready-to-eat food

Storing food effectively

• Cover raw food, including meat, and keep it separate from ready-to-eat food
• Use any dish that has a lip to prevent spillages
• Store covered raw meat, poultry, fish and shellfish on the bottom shelf of your fridge
• Use different utensils, plates and chopping boards for raw and cooked food

How to cook your food to prevent food poisoning.

Cooking food at the right temperature, and for the correct length of time, will ensure that any harmful bacteria are killed. Always check the advice on food packaging and follow the cooking instructions provided.

Meat
Before you serve poultry, duck, pork and minced meat, make sure it is steaming hot and cooked all the way through. When you cut into the thickest part of the meat, check that none of the meat is pink and that any juices run clear.

Frozen vegetables Most frozen vegetables, including sweetcorn, will need to be cooked before you can eat them. Check the instructions on the packaging first.

Ceri’s top tip:
Cooking causes the proteins in bacteria to break up and die. This is why cooking removes the risk from harmful bacteria that are in some food. Cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayes at that temperature for 2 minutes.

Chilling food properly helps stop harmful bacteria from growing.

To keep your food safe:

• store any food with a 'use by' date, along with cooked dishes, salads and dairy products, in your fridge
• if you are unsure as to where food should be stored then check packaging for storage instructions.
• keep food out of the fridge for the shortest time possible during preparation
• cool cooked food quickly at room temperature and then place in the fridge within one to two hours

Barry D Treasure explains the 'Danger Zone':
Germs/Bacteria will grow at temperatures above 8°C and below 63°C – this is known as the ‘Danger Zone’. That’s why we advise that the safest way to defrost food is in the fridge overnight. By defrosting in the fridge, your food should never enter the ‘Danger Zone’. Your fridge should be at 5°C or below, you need to check that your fridge is cold enough using a fridge thermometer. Don't overfill your fridge. Leaving space allows air to circulate and maintains the set temperature.

Well done new crew members of the FSA Chillibean for making it safely through the 4 Cs to Captain Blueberry’s island and uncovering the treasure that is food safety knowledge. For more detailed information on food safety go to the Food Standards Agency website. As a newly appointed crew member of the FSA Chillibean it is now your mission to teach all that you see the wisdom of food safety.
Spread the word so others don’t spread the germs.