Clean:

• Clean and dry your hands before food preparation and after touching raw meat and poultry 
• Wash knives and scrub chopping boards between preparing raw and cooked food and between preparing raw meat and raw vegies. Some people find it good to have different boards for raw meat and other food 
• Keep your fridge clean

Cook:

• Defrost frozen food thoroughly before cooking. 
• Make sure your meat is cooked. Minced meat and sausages should be cooked right through and pork and poultry juices should run clear 
• Pre-cook meat such as chicken before barbecuing 
• Always put hot food in the fridge within two hours of being cooked. If it is more than two hours throw it out.

Cover:

• Stored food should always be covered – even in the fridge or cupboard 
• Meat juice on your fruit and veg anyone? Yuck! Keep raw meat and poultry in the bottom of the fridge or in a special meat drawer away from other foods 
• When cooking outdoors keep all food covered and cool until ready to cook or eat

Chill:

• Make sure your fridge is between 2 and 4 degrees – the safe zone (see our competition!) 
• When picnicking keep food cool by using frozen chiller pads or a bottle full of frozen water 
• Marinate food in the fridge, not on the bench.