Safefood today launched a new advertising campaign to highlight common and widespread poor food hygiene practices in the home as new research revealed that 84 per cent of people did not thoroughly wash their hands after handling raw chicken.
The campaign titled Don’t Take Risks focuses on key messages of proper hand washing, proper cleaning of cooking utensils, and thorough cooking, steps all of which can help minimise the risks of food poisoning in the home.
The safefood study recorded the food hygiene practices of 120 participants across Ireland while they prepared two meals – a home-made beef burger and a warm chicken salad. The research findings revealed poor food hygiene behaviours, with more than a third of what participants considered to be “cooked” beef burgers being contaminated with raw meat bacteria. In addition, more than half of consumers did not thoroughly wash the chopping board used to prepare raw mince before reusing it to prepare salad.
Three golden rules for safefood preparation
Cook chicken and minced meat thoroughly until piping hot all the way through with no pink meat remaining and the juices running clear.
Always wash hands in warm soapy water after handling raw meat or chicken.
Always wash utensils such as knives and chopping boards thoroughly after use with raw meat and chicken and before reuse with ready to eat foods such as salads.
