At home

Whether you’re shopping or cooking, these tips will help make sure the food you cook and eat won’t do you any harm.

Knowing how to prepare and cook food helps keep the food you and your family eat safe. These simple tips will help make sure the food you cook and eat won’t do you any harm.

In this section

Cooking food

Food poisoning isn’t just something you get outside your home – the meals you prepare can be a source of food poisoning too.

Chilling

Stop germs growing by keeping them cold. Look out for a use-by date or 'keep refrigerated' on the label.

Cleaning

Keep yourself and your kitchen clean by washing and drying your hands thoroughly.

Cross-contamination

It’s easy for germs to spread around the kitchen – stop the spread by avoiding cross-contamination.

Fresh produce

Advice for safely storing, handling and cooking raw fruit and vegetables.

Storage

Storing food safely helps to reduce food waste and keep you and your household safe from food poisoning.

Eggs

Information about storing, handling and preparing eggs safely.

Rice

Uncooked rice can contain spores that can survive cooking, so we need to take extra care when cooling and storing it to avoid food poisoning.

Parties and events

A successful party is one that you and your guests enjoy. Obviously, that means no food poisoning!

BBQ food safety

Follow these tips to help you to cook safely, making sure your barbecue is memorable for the right reasons.

Date labelling

Guidance on use by and best before dates.

Power cuts

How to prevent food poisoning and minimise food waste during a power cut or outage in your home.

Raw pet food

It's important to follow good food safety practices when preparing and handling raw pet food. 

Christmas food safety checklist

Use our food safety checklist to reduce the risk of food poisoning at Christmas.