Three Numbers and a List
Welcome back! Last time we covered the 4 Cs: cleaning, cooking, chilling and avoiding cross-contamination. Today we look closer at cooking and chilling, because each one comes down to a few numbers you can check yourself.
By the end you'll know three numbers that keep food safe, and you'll be able to read a food label for allergens. It's easy to learn, and you'll use it every time you cook.
Why Temperature Matters So Much
What do bacteria actually want? Food, moisture, time and warmth. You can't take the food or the moisture away, but you can control the temperature.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) says harmful bacteria grow best between about 8°C and 63°C (46°F to 145°F). That warm middle range is often called the "danger zone." Think of it as a bacteria holiday resort. The longer food sits there, the more the bacteria multiply.
So you keep food out of that range in two ways. Keep it cold, or cook it hot.
Number One: Your Fridge at 5°C (41°F) or Below
The FSA's advice is that your fridge should run between 0°C and 5°C (32°F to 41°F).
Here's something important. Cold doesn't kill bacteria. It slows them right down, like a car going from motorway speed to a crawl. That's why food still goes off in the fridge, just much more slowly.
Now, how do you know your fridge really is that cold? Can you trust the dial? Not always. Dials often show settings like 1 to 5, and those aren't degrees. The best way to check is with a cheap fridge thermometer. Pop it on a middle shelf and check it about once a week.
While we're in the fridge, here's a quick tip from last time. Keep raw meat, poultry and fish in sealed containers on the bottom shelf, so they can't drip onto anything else.
Number Two: 70°C (158°F) for 2 Minutes
Now for the hot side. Cooking food properly kills the harmful bacteria in it. The FSA's standard advice is that the centre of the food should reach 70°C (158°F) and stay there for 2 minutes.
But what if you don't have a thermometer yet? No problem. You can check by looking. Properly cooked food is steaming hot all the way through, not just on the surface. When you cut into the thickest part of meat, the juices run clear. There's no pink, fleshy meat left inside. Fish should flake apart easily with a fork.
You might be wondering, "So what about a pink steak?" Good question! Whole cuts of beef or lamb, like steaks and joints, only carry bacteria on the outside. Once you've seared the outside, the middle can stay pink if you like it that way.
That does not apply to chicken, turkey, pork, minced meat, burgers or offal. Bacteria can be all the way through those, so they must be cooked thoroughly, with no pink at all.
Number Three: Leftovers in the Fridge Within One to Two Hours
You've cooked a big pot of chilli and there's plenty left. What now?
Let it cool a little at room temperature, cover it, and get it into the fridge within one to two hours. Don't leave it on the hob all evening, because that's a long stay in the danger zone.
Want it to cool faster? Split it into smaller, shallow containers. A big deep pot holds its heat for ages, but small portions cool quickly.
Then eat your leftovers within 48 hours, or freeze them. When you reheat, make sure they're steaming hot all the way through again.
The 14 Major Allergens
Last, let's look at allergens. For some people, a tiny trace of the wrong ingredient can cause a serious reaction. UK food law names 14 major allergens:
- Celery
- Cereals containing gluten (such as wheat, barley and oats)
- Crustaceans (such as prawns, crabs and lobster)
- Eggs
- Fish
- Lupin
- Milk
- Molluscs (such as mussels and oysters)
- Mustard
- Peanuts
- Sesame
- Soya
- Sulphur dioxide and sulphites
- Tree nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts and cashews)
Are peanuts and tree nuts the same thing? No! They're listed separately, and someone can be allergic to one and not the other.
So how do you spot allergens on a packet? Turn it over and find the ingredients list. On pre-packed food, the law says these 14 allergens must stand out from the other ingredients, usually in bold. Sometimes they're in capitals, underlined or in a different colour instead. Say you pick up a pesto and see "basil, sunflower oil, cheese (milk), pine nuts..." The highlighted words are the allergens.
If you're cooking for a friend with an allergy, check the label of every ingredient you use, even the ones you buy every week. Recipes change.
Your Check
Here's your task for this level. Put a thermometer in your fridge and read it the next day. Is it at 5°C or below? If not, turn the dial a little colder and check again. Then pick up any packet in your kitchen and find its allergens. Well done!
Key Takeaways
- Keep your fridge between 0°C and 5°C (32°F to 41°F). Cold slows bacteria down but doesn't kill them.
- Cook food until it's steaming hot all the way through: 70°C (158°F) for 2 minutes at the centre.
- Chicken, pork, mince, burgers and offal must have no pink. Whole steaks and joints can be pink in the middle.
- Cool, cover and refrigerate leftovers within one to two hours, and eat them within 48 hours or freeze them.
- There are 14 major allergens. On pre-packed food they're emphasised in the ingredients list, usually in bold.