In association with safefood, the Food Safety Promotion Board

Put meats into the fridge as quickly as possible when you get home from shopping
Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling raw meat. This prevents the spread of bacteria
Keep cooked meat separate from raw meat
Freeze it before the ‘use by’ date
Defrost meat by thawing it on the bottom shelf of the fridge on a plate away from other foods.
Only defrost meat in the microwave if you're going to cook and eat it straightaway. The manufacturer’s instructions should be followed
As a rule of thumb, allow 24 hours to defrost each 2.5kg/5lbs of meat or chicken
If you defrost raw meat and then cook it thoroughly, you can freeze it again, but remember never to reheat foods more than once
When you pierce the thickest part of the meat with a fork or skewer, the juices should run clear. For a whole chicken or other bird, the thickest part is the leg between the drumstick and the breast
Cut the meat open with a clean knife to check it is piping hot all the way through – it should be steaming
Meat changes colour when it is cooked. Make sure there is no pink meat left
Beef steaks, whole joints of beef, lamb chops, whole joints of lamb. These can be eaten ‘rare’ in the middle because harmful bacteria can only be on the outside
When you are cooking steaks, or whole joints of beef or lamb, pink or ‘rare’, use a high temperature to seal the meat and kill any bacteria that might be on the outside
Leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours of cooking and eaten within three days
Use separate utensils for raw or partially cooked meat and cooked meat.

© The Food Safety Promotion Board