As the festive season draws near and December marks International Food Service Safety Month, TAFE NSW Moruya teachers and students are sharing their top tips to minimise food poisoning and encourage good hygiene practices.
Food safety and hygiene are a prerequisite for all Hospitality and Commercial Cookery courses at TAFE NSW Moruya, teaching students about cross contamination, correct food storage, temperature control, hygiene standards and food poisoning.
It comes as data reveals more than 5.4 million cases of food poisoning were recorded in Australia last year, with more than 1.2 million resulting in a visit to a doctor. It’s also estimated food poisoning costs the economy $1.25 billion annually.
Hospitality Head Teacher Nick John said all students were taught best food safety practices at TAFE NSW, and the importance of good hygiene to eliminate illness and allergens from the kitchen.
“All of our teachers have worked in hospitality for many years and have first-hand experience to share about how important it is to get food safety correct the first time, every time,” Mr John said.
“We make our lessons on hygiene as interactive as possible to keep our students engaged and ensure they remember the important steps in a workplace or commercial kitchen environment.”
Mr John shared his top five tips for preparing and storing food safely this festive season;
Consume your food within 2 hours of cooking it or refrigerate it. Once it’s been left out for more than 2 hours you should eat it or throw it out, and if it’s been out for 4 hours you should not consume it at all.
Wash your hands often and thoroughly. As a rule of thumb, wash your hands after every task in the kitchen.
Prevent cross contamination by using different chopping boards and knives for meat and vegetables.
Don’t store raw food above cooked food. Always put the cooked food on shelves above the raw food in the fridge.
Your fridge should be kept at 0-5 degrees, and your freezer at -18 degrees.
As well as a Certificate III or IV in Commercial Cookery and Hospitality, future students can choose from a range of courses, including Food Safety Supervision and Food Handling, to upskill in hygiene and food safety standards at TAFE NSW.
Above: FOOD FOR THOUGHT: TAFE NSW Moruya is drawing attention to the importance of locals to be safe and hygienic around food as part of International Food Service Safety Month.
