17
10. Cook meat thoroughly - use a meat
thermometer if preferred, which penetrates
the joint to check that the centre temperature
has reached the required temperature (see
table below).
Helpful hints when buying and preparing food
11. If not eaten straightaway after cooking, food
should be cooled as quickly as possible
(within one hour) and then refrigerated or
frozen as required. (Do not put hot food into
a Refrigerator or Freezer).
12. In the kitchen keep work tops, chopping
boards and utensils clean with hot soapy
water between preparation stages. Ideally,
keep one chopping board for raw meat and
another for other foods. Keep your dish cloths
and tea towels clean.
MEAT
TEMPERATURES
Beef
Rare - 60
°
C
Medium - 70
°
C
Well Done - 80
°
C
Pork
Well Done - 80
°
C
Lamb
Medium - 70
°
C
Well Done - 80
°
C
Care must be taken when handling foods in the
home. Always follow the basic rules of food
hygiene to prevent bacterial and microbial growth
and cross contamination when preparing,
reheating, cooking, cooling, defrosting and
freezing foods:
1. Always ensure food you purchase is of good
quality and in prime condition. Shop at a
reliable source and buy the 'freshest' looking
package - avoid shopworn labels or produce
covered in dust.
2. Avoid buying chilled or frozen products if you
cannot store them straight away. The use of an
insulated container when shopping is
advisable.
3. Buy and consume foods prior to the 'Sell by' or
'Best Before' date.
4. When you arrive home, place perishable foods
in the refrigerator or freezer immediately.
Ensure they are well covered to prevent them
drying out and to prevent any possible cross
contamination with bacteria from raw to
cooked foods.
5. Follow the cooking instructions on packets of
prepacked and cook chill foods, but be
prepared to adjust cooking time and
temperatures to suit your particular oven. For
example, the fan oven generally requires 20-
25
°
C lower temperature than conventional
ovens.
6. Always ensure that cook chill foods are
thoroughly re-heated until they are piping hot
throughout.
7. It is preferable to defrost frozen foods slowly
in the refrigerator. Alternatively, a microwave
cooker or the defrost function on your oven
may be used.
8. Always cook defrosted foods immediately after
thawing. Thawed food should never be
refrozen.
9. Joints of meat and poultry should be
thoroughly defrosted before cooking.
