5 food safety myths debunked

Cathy Moir - a Senior Food Microbiologist and Team Leader with the CSIRO Food and Nutrition – reveals what we can and can’t do with raw meat, cooling food and general preparation.

Myth 1: if you’ve defrosted frozen meat or chicken you can’t refreeze it

We all know the drill. You defrosted some meat to prep for dinner that night but you end up spontaneously heading out for dinner – what a waste!

According to Cathy, from a safety point of view, it is fine to refreeze defrosted meat or chicken or any frozen food as long as it was defrosted in a fridge running at 5°C or below. Some quality may be lost by defrosting then refreezing foods as the cells break down a little and the food can become slightly watery.

Myth 2: Wash meat before you prepare and/or cook it

Washing our fruit and veg before cooking is drilled into us from the moment we step into the kitchen but we may be doing more harm than good when it comes to our meat.

It is not a good idea to wash meats and poultry when preparing for cooking.

“Splashing water that might contain potentially hazardous bacteria around the kitchen can create more of a hazard if those bacteria are splashed onto ready-to-eat foods or food preparation surfaces,” says Cathy.

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Myth 3: Hot food should be left out to cool completely before putting it in the fridge

We are all trained to cool leftovers before refrigerating but it’s not OK to leave perishable food out for an extended time or overnight before putting it in the fridge.

According to Cathy, micro-organisms can grow rapidly in food at temperatures between 5° and 60°C. Temperature control is the simplest and most effective way of controlling the growth of bacteria. Perishable food should spend as little time as possible in the 5-60°C danger zone. If food is left in the danger zone, be aware it is potentially unsafe to eat.

“Hot leftovers, and any other leftovers for that matter, should go into the fridge once they have stopped steaming to reduce condensation, within about 30 minutes.”

Myth 4: If it smells OK, then it’s OK to eat

Who hasn’t enjoyed their milk past the used-by date because it didn’t smell sour?

Spoilage bacteria, yeasts and moulds are the usual culprits for making food smell off or go slimy and these may not make you sick, although it is always advisable not to consume spoiled food.

Pathogenic bacteria can grow in food and not cause any obvious changes to the food, so the best option is to inhibit pathogen growth by refrigerating foods.

Myth 5: Oil preserves food so it can be left at room temperature

Don’t leave that meat marinating outside the fridge.

“Adding oil to foods will not necessarily kill bugs lurking in your food. The opposite is true for many products in oil if anaerobic micro-organisms, such as Clostridium botulinum (botulism), are present in the food. A lack of oxygen provides perfect conditions for their growth,” says Cathy.

So keep food out of the danger zone to reduce your guests’ risk of getting food poisoning this summer.

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