Food poisoning

Do you know how to avoid food poisoning for yourself and your housemates? If not, follow our guide on good kitchen hygiene.

I shouldn't have reheated that chicken ...

No one wants to admit to giving their flatmate the squits, so here are some simple tips to prevent anyone getting explosive diarrhoea through bad kitchen hygiene.

I’ve got some meat. What do I do with it?

• Store it on the bottom shelf of the fridge so it doesn’t drip onto other foodstuffs.
• Keep cooked meat away from raw meat.
• If you’re going to freeze it, do it before the sell-by date.
• When you defrost it, shove a plate underneath, as lots of bacteria-laden juices will ooze out.
• Cook it all the way through before eating. Especially chicken, as there’s a high risk of salmonella.

Is there anything I need to know about the fridge?

Yep, including:

• Never put open cans of food in the fridge as the metal can get into the food. Use storage containers instead.
• Store eggs in their boxes – even if you have an egg rack.
• Make sure leftovers have cooled down before you put them in the fridge so you don’t raise the inside temperature.
• Speaking of which, fridges need to be at least 5?C or below.
• Clean it regularly and remember to chuck out all the mouldy stuff.

How can I avoid giving myself food poisoning?

• Wash your hands, worktops and dishcloths regularly.
• Use a separate chopping board for meat.
• Don’t wash raw meat (especially chicken and turkey) it just spreads germs.
• Eat leftovers within two days, and when you reheat them make sure they’re steaming hot all the way through.