News release

From: Food Safety Information Council

During the 2026 National Science Week, 15 to 23 August, the Food Safety Information Council is encouraging Aussies to learn and practice the basics of food safety. Food and personal hygiene find their roots seeded in science.

The Council’s Scientific Director, Associate Professor Julian Cox, said that advances in science and technology have also advanced food safety, though food safety still needs us, the consumers, to do the right thing.

‘In the past, health authorities have relied heavily on interviewing people to tell them what they have eaten, in hope of identifying the food associated with their illness. Luckily, these days we have new technologies that assist us in connecting those suffering illness with foods. Trawling social media posts is helping to quickly identify potential outbreaks. Whole genome sequencing highlights ‘fingerprints’ – unique DNA patterns of the viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites that cause foodborne disease – which can then be compared among organisms isolated from ill people and suspected food sources, if available. If the same fingerprint is found in organisms from the food, and ill people, it suggests strongly that illness was initiated by eating that food. The outbreak of food poisoning can then be managed by removal of those foods from the food chain, which might include the home environment.

‘While technology increases to assist us, there are also some longstanding food safety basics, with scientific evidence behind them, that we must remember to follow:

Clean your hands – our health is in our hands!

Clean hands will decrease markedly the possibility of food poisoning and other diseases. Remember the 20/20 rule: wash hands for 20 seconds with warm soapy water, dry hands for 20 seconds before starting to cook, and repeat frequently, especially after handling raw meats, or fruit and vegetables especially with visible soil, visiting the toilet, or handling pets. Wash utensils and cutting boards with soap and warm water, and dry thoroughly, before handling different sorts of foods.

Chill to relax!

As soon as possible after purchase, perishable foods such as meat, poultry, dairy foods, seafood, vegetables, and salad ingredients, should be refrigerated at or below 5ºC and get those frozen foods home quickly, and into your freezer. Sounds easy but often cold foods are purchased too early, are left in hot cars, or put in refrigerators that are not cold enough. A fridge thermometer should be used to make sure the temperature is at or below 5ºC. The temperature should be adjusted in line with changing seasons and the amount stored. Cooked food should be stored in covered containers and either put in the fridge to cool, once steaming stops, and consumed within 2-3 days, or frozen immediately for later. Apply the same rules to leftovers. Frozen foods should be defrosted in the fridge NOT on the kitchen bench.

Cook – get it hot, and while it’s hot, to minimise the risk of food poisoning

Cook chicken, minced or boned meats, hamburger, stuffed meats and sausages right through until they reach 75°C, checked using a meat thermometer.  Serve hot food steaming hot above 60ºC. Defrost frozen poultry and rolled and stuffed meats thoroughly before cooking. Always follow cooking instructions on packaged foods. And remember the rules for storing hot foods, as highlighted above.

Separate – cross-contamination is a major way for food borne diseases to spread

To avoid cross-contamination keep raw and cooked foods separate when storing and preparing. Use separate cutting boards for raw, risky foods, and ready-to-eat and prepared foods. Food should be stored in covered containers in the fridge and put those risky raw meats and poultry in the bottom of the fridge so the juices can’t contaminate food on lower shelves. Don’t put cooked meat back on the same surface that the raw meat was on. And if you’re feeling a bit ‘raw’ – suffering from gastro – you best avoid preparing food, if possible, to avoid causing your own cross-contamination.

We would also like to announce that the theme for this year’s Australian Food Safety Week, to be held from 7 to 14 November 2026, will focus on the risk of raw and undercooked foods.