Clean, Cook, Chill

Why you should clean, cook, and chill

Every year, around 200,000 New Zealanders get food poisoning. Around half of these cases occur in homes just like yours. Food poisoning is caused by harmful germs in or on the food we eat. Campylobacter and Salmonella are the most common causes. You can help stop your family from getting sick by following the 3Cs: Clean, Cook, Chill.

Campylobacter, Salmonella, and other causes of foodborne illness

The following tips will help prevent your family from getting food poisoning.

Clean

Wash your hands with soap and dry well before handling, cooking, and eating food.
Wash chopping boards and kitchen tools in hot, soapy water and dry well after using with raw meat or seafood.
Use different chopping boards for raw meat, seafood, and ready-to-eat foods like salads and cheese.
Don’t wash chicken or raw meat. Washing will spread bacteria in your kitchen and may contaminate other food.
Wash your hands after handling eggs.
Keep surfaces and kitchen utensils clean and dry before and after handling eggs.
Use clean eggs free from dirt, faecal matter, and cracks.

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More cooking tips

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Make sure all meat and seafood are cooked right through to kill harmful bacteria. Chicken and sausage juices should run clear and meat should not be pink in the middle. Use a meat thermometer to check temperatures at the middle of the thickest part (where the temperature should be 75°C or more).

Defrost frozen foods thoroughly so they cook properly in the middle. Or, follow cooking instructions on labels or packaging that say you can cook the food directly from frozen.
Use one set of utensils for raw meat and chicken, and another set for cooked food. Put cooked items on a clean plate, not one that's been used for raw ingredients.
Check the “use-by” dates on food packaging. Don’t buy or eat once this date has passed.
If food is labelled with a “best-before” date, it’s all right to eat the food after the date has passed as long as the food is not showing signs that it’s gone “off”. Use your sense of smell and look for signs of decay or mould. If in doubt, chuck it out.

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More chilling tips

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Most harmful bacteria cannot grow at low refrigeration temperatures. Set your fridge temperature between 2°C and 5°C and follow these tips.

Keep raw and cooked foods separate in the fridge.
Keep cooked food on a higher shelf than raw meat or chicken. This will prevent raw meat and chicken juices from dripping onto food that is ready-to-eat.
Cool hot foods for up to 30 minutes in room temperature before refrigerating to prevent raising the temperature in the fridge.
Cool large portions of hot food by dividing into smaller containers (this helps the food to cool faster), then cover and refrigerate.
Don’t leave food at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Keep your fridge clean, and don't overfill it. This can prevent cold air from circulating properly, which can affect the temperature of food inside the fridge.
When eating outdoors keep chilled foods (like salads) in a chilly bag or bin with ice packs until needed.
Keep a chilly bag or bin in your car to transport chilled or frozen foods, and transfer these to the fridge or freezer as soon as you get home. Use ice packs if you have long travel times after shopping or won’t be going home straight away.

More food safety tips

As well as the 3 Cs, we’ve got other tips to help you make sure your food is safe (it won’t make you sick) and suitable (the ingredients and condition are what you expect them to be).

Tips for preparing and storing food safely at home

Cooking food safely on a barbecue

Bacteria on food can multiply much more quickly in warm weather.

Find out how to barbecue food safely

Food safety during pregnancy

When you're pregnant your levels of immunity are lower than usual, so you're more at risk of getting diseases carried by food.

Find out how to prepare food safely during pregnancy

Food safety for people with low immunity

People with low immunity can be at higher risk of getting food poisoning. It can also be more dangerous for them. We’ve got advice on this.

Get food safety advice for people with low immunity

Symptoms of food poisoning

Common symptoms of food poisoning include:

nausea or vomiting
diarrhoea (which can be bloody)
allergic reactions
headache
stomach cramps or pains
fever or chills
muscle or joint aches.

Symptoms may show up in as little as 20 minutes, or they could take several weeks.

If you or your family have any of these symptoms, contact a doctor.

Find out more about symptoms and causes of food poisoning

Who to contact

If you have questions about Clean, Cook, Chill, email info@mpi.govt.nz

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