Food safety on a budget

People save on their food bills for all sorts of reasons. Hard economic times can mean income is lower, unemployment more common or people being conservative and spending less. Some of us are just thrifty.

The smart way to save on food bills is not to compromise on food safety.

Tips to stay safe

Buying in bulk

• buy only what will be consumed before it expires
• put any food that needs to be kept cold in the fridge or freezer straight away
• divide bulk items into meal-sized portions before freezing
• follow storage and cooking instructions
• don’t eat food after a ‘use-by’ date; note any ‘best before’ dates

more on 'use-by' and 'best before dates'

Cooking and catering at home

• ensure you have plenty of fridge and freezer space
• keep the fridge at 5^oC or below
• defrost and marinate foods, especially meats, in the fridge
• don’t let raw meat juices get onto ready-to-eat food
• don't eat food that’s meant to be in the fridge if it’s been left out for 2 hours or more

more on family feasts

Saving the leftovers

• put leftovers in the fridge as soon as possible
• keep refrigerated leftovers for no more than 3 days
• put leftovers into smaller containers if freezing, for easier thawing
• if reheating leftovers, reheat to steaming hot

Eating out for less

• chill food thoroughly in the fridge before a picnic
• at picnics, use an esky or cooler bag to transport cold food
• keep food cold with ice, ice-blocks and frozen drinks
• at BBQs, use clean plates and utensils for cooked meat and ready-to-eat food

more on picnics
more on BBQs
more on doggy bags

Food Safety Week 2009

Australian Food Safety Week reminds consumers how to handle, store and prepare food safely.

The message for 2009 is ‘Safe food is smart and great value’.

NSW Food Authority is a member of the Food Safety Information Council which coordinates the week. The Authority was a major contributor to the Council’s tongue-in-cheek community announcements on TV:

video: the girlfriend

video: not invited