Eat Safe This Summer

We all love it when the weather gets warmer. But did you know that you might need to think harder about food safety in the summer months? New research indicates that people in Eastbourne could be putting themselves and their families at risk of food poisoning through lack of knowledge of the 4Cs of food hygiene: Chilling, Cooking, Cleaning and avoiding Cross-contamination. 

The Food Standards Agency’s Food and You Survey, which collects information on food safety through 3,118 interviews across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, found that in the SE

• 45% of respondents did not check their fridge temperatures regularly and 46% did not know what the fridge temperature should be, suggesting that many people’s fridges may not be between the recommended 0 and 5°C.
• 45% thought the correct method for defrosting meat or fish was leaving it at room temperature, putting  themselves at higher risk of food poisoning as germs multiply more quickly at room temperature.
• A quarter of respondents said that they don’t change or clean their chopping boards between different foods, which increases the risk of cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods.
• There are still a high proportion of people eating meat that is pink or has pink/red juices, against recommended practice eg 29% for burgers, increasing their chances of becoming ill.
• Too many respondents also own up to not washing their hands before starting to prepare food, despite the FSA’s recommendation that people wash their hands thoroughly before cooking and after touching the bin, going to the toilet, handling pets or handling raw food.

John Demetriou, Food Safety Officer at Eastbourne BC said:

“These figures show that there's more that people in Eastbourne could do to keep themselves and their loved ones safe this summer. That's why Eastbourne Borough Council is working with the Food Standards Agency to promote good hygiene practices during Food Safety Week (19 – 25 June).  This year the week aims to encourage better hygiene practices for summer, when the risk of getting food poisoning goes up.”

For tips on how to stay safe this summer visit: https://www.food.gov.uk/safe-summer-food