Parents of our infants often bring along first foods for babies. In the interests of keeping all our babies healthy and safe from food contamination-related illness, we are sending this short note home to assist. We have not had any incidents of this, but we like to be certain that we all follow the correct procedures so nothing unpleasant ever happens to our little ones. We hope you find this information helpful.

Preparing and cooking food properly helps you prevent food poisoning. Food poisoning can make you seriously ill and can be fatal in some cases. Knowing how to prepare and cook food properly ensures that:

• Food does not become contaminated
• Harmful organisms are killed, or their growth is slowed or stopped.

To help keep the food you prepare safe, it is important to follow these steps:

• Thaw food in the refrigerator or microwave, never on the bench.
• Uncooked meats should be kept covered and separated from cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods to avoid cross-contamination.
• Do not refreeze food once it has been thawed.
• Make sure all food used is fresh and within the use-by-date.
• Cook all meat, chicken, and eggs thoroughly
• Make sure hot foods are cooked above 70°C for at least 2 minutes.
• Make sure cold foods are cold (below 5°C).
• Cool left-over food in small containers in the fridge. Food should be cooled from 60°C to 21°C within 2 hours and from 21°C to 5°C within a further 4 hours to reduce the growth of bacteria.
• Eat any leftovers within 24 hours.
• Reheat leftovers to above 74°C for over 2 minutes.

Reference:

https://www.qld.gov.au/health/staying-healthy/environmental/food/handling/index.html

Out & About Care and Education
6 Mooloolah Rd
Mooloolah Valley Q 4553

Google Map Link

mooloolah@outandabout.net.au
 07 5356 9323