Australians are being urged to CHECK THEIR FRIDGE after food safety body issued a new food poisoning warning
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Australians are being urged to check their refrigerators as part of a new food poisoning warning issued by Food Standards Australia.

Food Standards Australia advised Aussies to keep their fridges at 5C or below to prevent bacteria from spoiling their food. Credit: Sean Malyon/Getty Images.​

The leading food safety body launched the Food Safety Week 2021 on Twitter, advising Aussies to make sure that their fridges are set at the right temperature — 5C or below — to keep bacteria from spoiling their food.

The group wrote: “When it comes to chilling food safety, the temperature of your fridge matters.”

“It’s a good idea to check that your fridge is at 5C or below."

“Keeping your fridge cool will help stop the growth of most food poisoning bacteria - protecting your health and safety.”

The Food Safety Information Council revealed in a consumer report that around 5.4 million cases of food poisoning were being reported across the country each year, with an estimate of a third of these cases being said to occur from food mishandling in the home.

The group said: “Food poisoning is caused by bacteria or viruses in our food.”

“These bugs grow rapidly in food with a temperature between 5°C and 60°C and can reach dangerous levels within two hours.”

The group also noted that "cooking kills these bugs" and “refrigeration at 5°C or below stops them growing”.

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Food Safety Information Council guidelines for fridge and freezer food safety:

• Keep your fridge at 5°C or below
• Keep perishable food in the fridge
• Refrigerate hot food as soon as it stops steaming (and divide into smaller containers so they cool quickly)
• Defrost food in the fridge or microwave, not on the kitchen bench
• Refrigerate leftovers promptly
• Don’t keep leftovers if they’ve been unrefrigerated for more than 4 hours
• Use leftovers within two to three days
• Reheat to steaming hot all the way through
• If in doubt throw it out
• Keep raw meat and poultry from touching other food
• Keep raw meat and poultry in a sealed container at the bottom of the fridge so it can’t drip onto other food
• Cover all refrigerated food

 

[Capsam]

Thanks for this valuable information. I convinced my brother to throw his cabanossi away after reading about contamination in the paper today.

 

[Lindyloo]

Thanks for this valuable information. I convinced my brother to throw his cabanossi away after reading about contamination in the paper today.

so so dangerous, cured meats