Avoid Food Poisoning - 13 Top Tips

• Do wash your hands thoroughly after using the toilet.
  
• Do wash hands thoroughly before and after preparing food and always after handling raw meat.
  
• Do keep cooked and uncooked foods apart to prevent bacteria from raw food getting onto cooked food
  
• Do use a disinfectant to kill germs on work surfaces in the kitchen.
  
• Do keep all perishable foods in a fridge especially cooked meats, stews, meat pies, poultry and dairy products. Only take food out just before you are going to use it.
  
• Do avoid leaving perishable food at room temperature.
  
• Do ensure that frozen foods (especially poultry, meat joints etc.) are completely thawed before cooking.
  
• Don't touch your face and nose whilst preparing food as they are a source of food poisoning bacteria.
  
• Don't wash pets' feeding bowls with the family dishes or allow the pet to lick from the families dinner plates. Keep pets out of the kitchen particularly when preparing food. Wash hands thoroughly after touching pets and especially after emptying litter trays.
  
• Don't leave food uncovered to avoid contamination by dust, dirt, flies, rats and mice. Ensure your kitchen is kept clean. Adopt a 'clean as you go' system of work.
  
• Don't just warm up meat pies and leftovers, otherwise you encourage the bacteria to grow. Ensure they are stored in the fridge and when ready to use, make sure that they are re-cooked thoroughly.
  
• Don't ever handle food that other people will eat, if you are suffering from sickness or diarrhoea.
  
• Don't use food later than the "Use-by" date stamped on its label.