Cooking food

You can avoid getting food poisoning by cooking your food carefully, following cooking instructions and cooking food for the correct length of time and reaching a safe cooking temperature. This ensures that any harmful bacteria in the food are killed.

Here’s some tips to ensure you’re not nibbling on any nasties:

• a food thermometer can be used to check food is cooked thoroughly. When inserted in the thickest part of the food, the thermometer should read 75°C or above. Some foods change colour when they are cooked so you can check this too.
• always check your food is steaming hot in the middle.
• make sure frozen vegetables are cooked before you eat them. If intending to use cold, cook first, cool quickly and store in the fridge for up to two days.
• if you are cooking a large dish you may have to check in more than one place that it is cooked properly.
• always follow cooking instructions on the label.
• don't reheat food more than once.
• when reheating, take extra care your food is heated all the way through.

Are you cooking for someone with a food allergy? Read our tips on how to safely cook for someone with a food allergy.

When cooking certain meats, they should be cooked thoroughly all the way through. To check that meat is cooked properly it’s a good idea to use a food thermometer. Alternatively, the meat should be steaming hot when you cut into it, the juices run clear and there should be no pink meat.

This advice applies to cooking:

• turkey
• chicken
• duck
• goose
• pork
• minced meat products such as burgers, sausages and kebabs

If you're cooking a whole chicken or other bird, pierce the thickest part of the leg (between the drumstick and the thigh) with a clean knife or skewer until the juices run out. The juices shouldn't have any pink or red in them and a food thermometer should reach a safe cooking temperature of 75°C.

Kidneys, liver and other types of offal should be cooked thoroughly until they’re steaming hot all the way through.

Meats such as steaks and joints of beef or lamb, can be served rare as long as the outside has been properly cooked or sealed to kill bacteria. However, rolled joints need to be cooked all the way through and checked using the juices and core temperature method. This is because bacteria can be all the way through the meat.

If you have cooked food that you aren't going to eat straight away, cool it as quickly as possible (ideally within one to two hours) and then store it in the fridge. Make sure your fridge is between 0°C and 5°C.

To make sure your leftovers are safe to eat:

• don't keep them for longer than two days
• don't keep rice for longer than 24 hours and only reheat it once
• when reheating food, make sure it's steaming hot all the way through
• don't reheat food more than once

One of the main reasons for food waste is because people make more than they need. If you cook too much food, using leftovers is a good way to reduce the amount of food you waste and save money too, just make sure you do it safely.