Australian Chicken Meat
Federation (ACMF) Inc
MEDIA RELEASE Monday 12 November 2012 Good Food Safety At Home Could Prevent Millions of Australians Falling Sick Each Year ACMF Supporting Food Safety Week -­‐12-­‐18 November 2012 Each year it is estimated that 5.4 million Australians, nearly a quarter of the population, get sick from eating food contaminated with bacteria or viruses, a direct result of poor food safety practices. The Food Safety Information Council concludes that “This figure is outrageously high considering Australia has one of the safest food supplies in the world due to effective working partnerships between food manufacturers, food handlers, retailers and government regulators”.1 Cross contamination, the theme of this year’s Food Safety Information Council’s, Food Safety Week, is one of the biggest food safety concerns in kitchens and at barbeques. Joanna McMillan, Nutritionist and accredited practising dietitian comments, “Chicken is among the leanest, most nutritious and easily-­‐cooked meats, but it’s important to handle and cook it appropriately. Without a microscope, you won’t see any bacteria on chicken or other raw meat so you must handle it as if it were present. To reduce food safety risks when handling chicken there are a few simple rules around preparation and cooking to avoid cross contaminating other food.” “Often a lack of understanding of why certain food safety practices need be followed can be a factor in actual behaviour falling far short of good practice,” she says. TOP TEN FOOD SAFETY RULES WHEN ENJOYING AN AUSSIE CHOOK: 1. When buying chicken, raw packaged chicken should be placed in a separate plastic bag to prevent any leakage of raw meat juices, which may contain bacteria and could get onto other foods that may be eaten raw like salads. 2. A clean working environment is essential in the prevention of contamination when working with chicken. 3. Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling raw chicken. 1
Food Safety Information Council website at http://www.foodsafety.asn.au/ Level 7 122 Walker Street, North Sydney NSW 2060 ⏐ PO Box 579, North Sydney NSW 2059 ⏐
T: 02 9929 4077 ⏐ F: 02 9925 0627 ⏐ www.chicken.org.au ⏐ [email protected] ⏐ Chook Infoline: 1300 424 665
4. Keep utensils used on raw chicken meat – such as chopping boards, knives, tea towels – away from cooked chicken and from other foods that will be eaten raw 5. Avoid thawing chicken at the barbeque site and keep separate to minimise contamination with other foods 6. When planning to put chicken on the barbeque, consider par-­‐cooking the chicken first (especially if marinades consist of honey) to avoid chicken being undercooked. 7. Keep raw chicken separate from other foods in the fridge, when transporting AND during preparation, so chicken juices do not contact other food that will be eaten raw, such as fruits or vegetables. 8. Do not use the same cutting board to carve cooked chicken as was used for the raw meat, unless it has been properly washed and dried before re-­‐use. 9. Cutting boards should be thoroughly scrubbed with hot soapy water after each use. 10. Check chicken is cooked properly before eating. Juices should run clear, meat is no longer pink and meat thermometer shows core temperature of 75°C. Dr McMillan says, “All chicken meat products are safe to eat provided they have been cooked. Consumers need to be encouraged to routinely adopt simple food safety practices. The best way to check your chicken is ready to eat is when your meat thermometer shows a core temperature of 75°C (this kills any bacteria that may be present). An indicator for situations where a food thermometer is not available is when the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink.“ “The chicken meat industry wants to make sure that consumers can safely enjoy every one of the well over 5 billion chicken meals consumed every year in Australia”, stresses Dr Andreas Dubs, Executive Director of the Australian Chicken Meat Federation. “We are therefore keen to share with consumers and all those preparing meals the simple rules that will keep our food safe. To support this aim, we have developed a new online resource www.chicken.org.au/foodsafety which provides ready access to this information.” ENDS For more information and to download a food safety fact sheet visit www.chicken.org.au/foodsafety To arrange an interview with Nutritionist and accredited practising dietitian Dr Joanna McMillan or Dr Andreas Dubs, Executive Director, Australian Chicken Meat Federation please call; •
•
•
Quay Communications, Emma Norgrove, M: 0499 688 001, T: 02 9665 9050 Quay Communications, Cheryl Pettinau, M: 0424 157 714, T: 02 9665 9050 Australian Chicken Meat Federation, Dr Andreas Dubs, Executive Director, M: 0432 925 933 -2-