PIANZ - Food & Nutrition

FoodSafe Week

Are you a FoodSafe Kiwi? It's FoodSafe Week from the 9th to the 15th of November, and now's the time to give some thought to food safety - making sure you cook, clean, cover and chill, and obey the 20+20 hand-washing rule. Visit the FoodSafe website at http://www.foodsafe.org.nz/ for more information, and to go into the draw to win a great Masport barbeque and other prizes from a total pool of over $16,000!

Salmonella in New Zealand broiler chickens

Samonella in chickens is measured by the National Microbiological Database (NMD), the same system that measures red meats. The NMD is administered by the NZFSA. Salmonella samples are taken once per day at the large poultry processing plants and forwarded to NZFSA approved laboratories for testing. The sample is a whole bird rinse taken at a random time during processing. The sampling and test methods are based on the system used by the USDA FSIS, this method was chosen to ensure that we had an international comparison with published data.

The data demonstrates the very low level of Salmonella found on carcasses in New Zealand. In the mid 1990s the level was 17% but concerted efforts by the whole industry to control breeding operations and feedmills has proven to be effective.

Surveys of chicken products at the retail level commisionsed by the NZFSA have confirmed the very low levels in the table above.

A survey carried out to determin the prevalence of Campylobacter and Salmonella on retail chicken products by PIANZ found that Salmonella was not detected on any carcasses or associated external packaging of the 163 carcasses samples collected in New Zealand.

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CLEAN

When buying chicken at the supermarket, check packaging for tears – if it is opened or damaged, ask the store for a replacement. Ensure poultry is well covered and stored in the bottom of the fridge (to ensure its juices do not drip onto other meats and ready-to-eat foods) as soon as possible after purchase.

Contrary to rumors, it is not a good idea to wash your chicken before cooking it. When washing the bird, water can easily be sprayed around the kitchen, unwittingly causing cross-contamination of surfaces up to two metres away.

Cross contamination can be a major cause of food-borne illnesses. Food-borne illnesses can be transferred into your mouth from contaminated fingers to glasses, beer cans, bottles when you remove twist-off tops and tear tabs. Wash knives, utensils, and chopping boards in hot soapy water and dry between preparation of foods.

Meat and poultry juice spills are best cleaned up with disposable paper towels, not dish cloths, hand towels or tea towels. Hand towels and tea towels should be changed daily.

Ensure that plates which carry raw poultry are not then used to carry cooked poultry. There should be separate plates used for each. For example, do not put cooked poultry onto a dish or a surface that has had raw poultry on it. Also, make sure you use separate utensils for raw and cooked poultry - for example, put the chicken on the barbeque with tongs, then use a clean spatula to turn it over.

Keep your fridge clean, as bacteria can survive in the fridge for some time.

Always wash hands in hot soapy water and dry thoroughly:

before handling food
after handling raw meat and poultry
after going to the toilet
after changing nappies
after handling pets
after gardening

When washing hands, use the 20+20 rule (wash for 20 seconds, dry for 20 seconds).

Some additional cleaning tips to prevent cross contamination:

Microwave ovens provide an effective means of sterilizing wooden chopping boards (3-4 minutes, 800W) and dish cloths (wrap cloth in paper towel and microwave until steaming, usually from 30-60 seconds). Make sure you rinse cloths and chopping boards under the tap to remove surface dirt before microwaving.

Cleaning chopping boards and dish cloths in a dishwasher is also an effective method of eliminating harmful bacteria.

Boards and benches can be wiped with a dilute solution of bleach (1 teaspoon bleach in 2 litres water) or branded disinfectant spray following cleaning, to ensure harmful bacteria are destroyed. Dish cloths can be sanitised by soaking in shallow water overnight, with 5-10 drops of ordinary household bleach, or for the traditionalists, a good launder and a day’s exposure to the wind and the sun’s UV will suffice.

COOK

Always cook poultry well, never medium or rare. When poultry is cooked properly, all the juices from the poultry are clear, not pink.

To test whether poultry is cooked, we recommend using a meat thermometer. Whole poultry should reach an internal temperature of at least 75oC (as measured from the thickest part of the breast or the innermost part of the thigh). Minced poultry and poultry breast should also reach at least 75oC.

To test whether poultry is cooked without the use of a meat thermometer, skewer the thickest part of the thigh and observe the colour of the juices. Do not eat any poultry that is rare or has any pink juices.

It is a good idea to pre-cook bone-in poultry before barbecuing.

Once cooked, don't leave poultry out at room temperatures or leave in an unheated oven for more than one hour. Poultry should be kept hot (above 60oC) or cold (below 4oC). Place leftovers in the refrigerator after steam has evaporated (no longer than one and a half hours). To cool large quantities, divide into smaller portions and refrigerate.

Re-heat leftovers to at least 74oC for a minimum of two minutes, and do not reheat more than once. If re-heating in the microwave, turn or stir the chicken regularly to ensure the re-heating is even. Cover dishes to retain as much moisture as possible and to assist in re-heating the food all the way through. Do not re-heat poultry more than once.

General Tips for Cooking Poultry:

Note: these times should be used as a guide only, and relate to fresh or defrosted chicken.

Always pre-heat your oven or frying pan.

Roasting: whole birds (stuffed) require 55 minutes/kg +20 minutes extra at 180oC. If the oven is on fan bake, a whole roast bird requires 40 minutes/kg + 20 minutes extra at 180oC.
Pan Frying: best if coated, to seal in juices. Bone-in portions require approximately 20-40 minutes, boneless portions approximately 10 minutes.
Deep Frying: usually coated. Bone-in portions require approximately 15-20 minutes at 190oC.
Baking: (with glaze or basting sauce) - bone-in portions require approximately 50-60 minutes at 180oC.
Grilling: poultry is best if marinated first. Bone-in portions require 15-30 minutes, boneless portions threaded onto skewers require approximately 15 minutes.
Casserole: (with vegetables, wine, stock and seasonings) - bone-in portions require 1.5 hours at 180oC.
Steaming: whole birds and bone-in portions will require approximately 30 minutes per 500g of chicken.
Hangi: as recommended above, whole poultry should be cooked until all the juices are clear, not pink, and the poultry reaches an internal temperature of at least 75oC (as measured from the thickest part of the breast or the innermost part of the thigh). Further guidelines to food safety when cooking a hangi can be found on the NZFSA’s website on this page.

BBQ

Poultry cooks best over hot coals, not flames. If cooking with gas, reduce the temperature.
To ensure poultry is properly cooked, it is recommended to pre-cook bone-in portions such as drums, nibbles and thighs in the microwave first before finishing the cooking on the barbeque. Pre-cooking also helps prevent charring of bone-in portions.
Make sure that the poultry is kept chilled after pre-cooking until you are ready to cook it on the barbeque.
Test large cuts by skewering the flesh in the deepest part. If it's cooked, the juices will run clear, not pink, and the poultry will feel firm and springy to the touch. If you have a meat thermometer, measure the temperature in the thickest part of the meat,
where it should have reached 75oC. If you do not have a meat thermometer and are not sure if the poultry is cooked properly, it is recommended to complete the cooking in the microwave.
Boneless portions are best cubed and threaded onto skewers.
Cooking time is dependent on size of portion and temperature of fire.

Microwave

Whole birds (without stuffing) require 15 minutes/500g on medium-high plus 5 minutes standing time. Whole, stuffed poultry should be cooked in a microwave oven in accordance with the packaging instructions.
Bone-in portions need 8-10 minutes/500g on medium-high plus 5 minutes standing time.
Turkeys and ducks require 10-15 minutes/500g on medium high.
Times will be dependent on individual microwave power. The higher the wattage of a microwave oven, the faster it will cook food. If you don't know the wattage of your microwave oven, try looking on the inside of the oven's door, on the serial number plate on the back of the oven, or in the owner's manual:
      A very high wattage oven is 1000 watts or more.
      A high wattage oven is about 800 watts or more.
      An average wattage oven is 650-700 watts or more.
      A slow oven is 300-500 watts.
The above cooking times are for a 1000 watt microwave. Use the above cooking times if your microwave is of a similar wattage; for less powerful ovens, more time may be needed.

COVER

Cover all foods before storing, either inside or outside the fridge.

Keep raw meat and poultry covered and away from ready-to-eat cooked products, fruit and vegetables.

Store raw meats and poultry in the bottom of the fridge (to ensure juices don't drip onto other foods).

Always wrap uncooked poultry before you put it in the fridge. Make sure juices from the other meals do not drip onto the uncooked poultry.

Cover cooked poultry leftovers immediately after they have finished steaming and put them in the refrigerator. Make sure poultry leftovers are not in contact with any other foods, meat or meat juices. Always store cooked poultry in a covered container at the top of the fridge, above raw poultry.

CHILL

Ensure poultry is stored in a fridge operating at a temperature between 2 and 4oC. Always cook poultry before the Use By date, or freeze it on the day of purchase.

Frozen poultry should be stored at a temperature of minus 18oC or colder. Always thaw poultry in the fridge or microwave; never on the kitchen bench at room temperature. Allow 24 hours for thorough thawing.

Bacteria that cause food-borne illnesses thrive at room temperature - keep food either very cold or very hot.

A chilly-bin is a good way of keeping chilled and frozen products cold when taking them home from the supermarket, especially in the summer. Do not leave poultry sitting in the car for hours before refrigerating. Likewise, put a frozen chilly pad with your picnic foods to keep food cold.

If you are barbecuing, keep poultry in the fridge or a chilly bin until just before it is cooked.

(Thanks to Andrew Cook of Fisher & Paykel Appliances, also members of the Food Safe Partnership, who gave permission to use this graphic in the interests of food safety.)