Handling raw meat safely

Take care handling raw meat and meat products

Raw meat and products containing uncooked meat – like burgers, sausages, saveloys, cheerios, chicken nuggets, chicken kievs, and dumplings – can give you food poisoning. Especially if the meat is undercooked or not handled properly.

This is because germs like Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Yersinia can live on it. These can transfer to your hands, chopping boards, cooking utensils, bowls, plates, and other food you’re preparing. This is called "cross-contamination".

Here are some tips on how you can reduce the risk of food poisoning when preparing and cooking meat or meat products.

Buying and transporting raw meat

Separate raw meat from other foods in your shopping trolley or basket.
When taking your groceries home, pack raw meat and poultry in separate bags to other foods. This prevents the meat juices from dripping onto other raw and ready-to-eat foods, and onto food packages.
Keep raw meat in a chilly bin or bag, especially during summer. Use ice packs on hot days or if you won’t be getting home for a while. Also keep meat as far away from car or bus windows as possible.
Transfer meat to the fridge or freezer as soon as you get home.
Wash or replace reusable grocery bags frequently – or right away if you think meat juices have spilled on them.

Storing meat at home

Don’t leave raw meat out at room temperature. Always store it in the fridge or freezer.
Store raw meat away from any cooked food or food that doesn’t get cooked (like raw fruit, vegetables, and salad).
The best place to store raw meat is at the bottom of your fridge. This stops any leaking juices (which may contain harmful bacteria) from dripping onto other foods.
Storing raw meat in covered or sealed containers will catch any juices and save unnecessary cleaning up. Make sure containers are cleaned after use.
When you marinate meat, keep it in the fridge in a sealed container.

Preparing raw meat

Ensure meat juices don’t drip onto other foods.
Completely defrost frozen meat in the fridge or microwave before cooking to make sure it cooks evenly. Leaving meat on a bench top to defrost allows harmful bacteria to grow. Ensure juices from defrosting meat and packaging can’t spread to other food, utensils, or surfaces.
Don’t wash raw meat, especially chicken, before cooking. Washing it doesn’t remove germs, instead it spreads them to your sink and kitchen surfaces, where they can contaminate other food. If you want, pat the meat dry with a paper towel, throw the paper towel straight into a waste bin, and wash your hands before handling other food.
To prevent cross-contamination, use separate chopping boards, and utensils for raw meat. If you only have one board or knife, make sure to clean it with hot, soapy water and dry it well before using it for other food.
Wash your hands with soap and clean water immediately after handling raw meat to prevent any cross-contamination with other surfaces or foods.

Cooking meat and meat products

Ensure poultry is cooked right through to kill harmful germs. Chicken juices should run clear, and the meat should not be pink in the middle, although it can remain a little pink in colour close to the bone.
Pork should also be cooked right through.
Usually, only the surface of whole pieces of beef, lamb, or venison will be contaminated by germs. So, whole roasts, steaks, or chops just need surface cooking, such as searing or flame grilling, to make them safe to eat.
Blade-tenderised steaks are often pre-marinaded and you are likely to see the cut patterns on the surface when you buy them. This type of steak needs to be cooked right through. This is because surface germs could have been transferred into the centre of the meat in the tenderising process.
When meat is minced, surface germs get mixed right through the product. So, thorough cooking is needed for minced meat products such as beef, pork, chicken, and lamb burgers; sausages, including saveloys and cheerios; dumplings; and chicken nuggets. Cook meat all the way through, until juices run clear.
Convenience foods that contain minced meat might look cooked, but the meat in the centre could still be undercooked. In particular, take extra care with frozen products like chicken nuggets, chicken kievs, or dumplings.
If you have a meat thermometer, use it to check temperatures in the middle of the thickest part of the meat you’re cooking. The meat should be cooked to a temperature of 75°C for 30 seconds, 70°C for 3 minutes or 65°C for 15 minutes. If you don’t have a thermometer, cook meat until any juices run clear and it is piping hot.
To prevent cross-contamination, use one set of utensils, plates or bowls for raw meat and chicken, and another set for cooked food. If you have only one set, wash them in hot, soapy water and dry well before using for cooked or other food.
Heat any leftover marinade to boiling before pouring it over cooked foods.
Reheat leftovers until piping hot (over 75°C) – and do not reheat more than once.

Find out more

Safe food preparation, cooking, and storage at home

Summer food safety

Food safety at home booklet [PDF, 1.1 MB]

Who to contact

If you have questions about handling raw meat and meat products safely, email info@mpi.govt.nz