The four C’s of food hygiene:
- Chilling
- Cooking
- Cleaning
- Cross contamination
Cooking food thoroughly at the right temperature is important to kill harmful bacteria that could cause food poisoning.
Most meat needs to be cooked thoroughly because there may be harmful bacteria in the middle. This includes:

Poultry

Rolled joints

Duck or foul

Minced meat products including sausages and burgers

Poultry

Liver and other types of offal
When cooking and reheating you must:
- Once – Do not reheat food more than once.
- Check – Check food is cooked all the way through and is steaming hot.
- Hot hot hot! – Reheat food until it is steaming hot.
- Temperature – Use a thermometer to check the temperature of cooked foods.
- 75 degrees C – Cook to 75 degrees C or hotter.
- Instructions – Follow cooking instructions.
- Special care – Check that the juices run clear when cooking burgers, sausages, chicken and pork.
- Middle – Ensure there is no pink or raw meat in the middle.
- Eggs – Cook eggs and food containing eggs thoroughly.

There are concerns about the safety of using microwaves in the kitchen and lots of research both for and against the use of microwaves.
If you use a microwave…
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions
- Keep your distance from the microwave door (at least 50 centimeters)
- Check that food is cooked evenly throughout.
Do not use microwaves that are old or broken and could be leaking radiation externally.