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Australian Food Safety Week 2022 is coming!
In the lead-up to Australian Food Safety Week, which is being held in 2022 from 12 to 19 November, campus staff are urging local communities to reduce their risk of food poisoning by learning about the personal hygiene practices that could help prevent contamination of food. Australian Food Safety Week is the Food Safety Information Council's major activity run each November and followed by a Summer campaign.
This year’s theme ‘Food safety – raw and risky’ warns about eating raw or minimally cooked meat, poultry, fish, eggs and vegetables which can increase your chance of getting food poisoning and also possible parasite infection such as toxoplasmosis.
Firstly, we suggest you purchase and use a digital meat thermometer and cook your foods safely to these temperatures measuring in the centre of the food:
- Beef, lamb, kangaroo in whole cuts like chops, steaks, pieces and roasts at least 63°C (medium rare) and leave to rest 3 to 5 minutes
- Pork steaks and pieces to 70°C and roasts to between 70°C and 75°C and leave to rest 3 to 5 minutes
- Sausages, mince, poultry, rolled roasts, liver and other offal 75°C
- Reheated leftovers 75°C
- Fish fillets 63°C or when flesh flakes easily
- Eggs and egg dishes such as quiche 72°C or until white is firm and yolk thickens."
Raw fruit and vegetables such as salad veggies can also be a risk so make sure you always wash them under running water before eating. Always wash your hands before handling food and after handling raw meat, chicken, and eggs.
The Food Safety Information Council is a health promotion charity and a national voice for science-based, consumer-focused food safety information in Australia. The Council aims to address the estimated 4.1 million cases of food poisoning in Australia that result in 31,920 hospitalisations, 86 deaths and 1 million visits to doctors on average every year by providing simple, easy to follow consumer information on the handling, storage and preparation of food.
Test your knowledge about food safety by taking the Food Safety Information Council's food safety quiz on their website www.foodsafety.asn.au.
