The cans and cant's

Hey Kimbaz

Congratulations!

Here's something from the Victoria Health website re. listeria

:

Prevention is Better Than Cure

People at risk from Listeria infection can reduce their risk of infection by:

Saying no to high risk foods
Always handing food safely (see safe food handling and storage)
Avoiding contact with any animal afterbirth (placenta) and with aborted animal foetuses, as listeria infection has been known to cause illness and abortion in animals.
High risk foods

These foods should be avoided:

Ready-to-eat seafood such as smoked fish and smoked mussels, oysters or raw seafood such as sashimi or sushi
Pre-prepared or stored salads, including coleslaw and fresh fruit salad
Drinks made from fresh fruit and/or vegetables where washing procedures are unknown (excluding pasteurised or canned juices)
Pre-cooked meat products which are eaten without further cooking or heating, such as paté, sliced deli meat, including ham, strass and salami, and cooked diced chicken (as used in sandwich shops)
Any unpasteurised milk or foods made from unpasteurised milk
Soft serve ice-creams
Soft cheeses, such as brie, camembert, ricotta and feta (these are safe if cooked and served hot)
Ready-to-eat foods, including leftover meats, which have been refrigerated for more than one day
Dips and salad dressings in which vegetables may have been dipped
Raw vegetable garnishes

Safe foods

These include:

Freshly prepared foods
Freshly cooked foods, to be eaten immediately
Hard cheeses, cheese spreads, processed cheese
Milk–freshly pasteurised and UHT
Yoghurt
Canned and pickled food

Safe food handling and storage

Safe food handling and safe storage of food are important for everyone. To anyone at risk of the serious complications of Listeria infection, such practices are especially important. Unlike most other food-contaminating bacteria, Listeria can grow in the refrigerator. However, Listeria bacteria are readily killed during cooking. You can reduce the risk of developing Listeria infection and other food-borne illnesses, such as gastroenteritis, by following some basic food hygiene and food storage rules:

Wash your hands before preparing food and between handling raw and ready-to-eat foods
Keep all food covered
Place all cooked food in the refrigerator within one hour of cooking
Store raw meat, raw poultry and raw fish on the lowest shelves of your refrigerator to prevent them dripping onto cooked and ready-to-eat foods
Keep your refrigerator clean and the temperature below 5°C
Strictly observe use-by or best-before dates on refrigerated foods
Do not handle cooked foods with the same utensils (tongs, knives, cutting boards) used on raw foods, unless they have been thoroughly washed with hot soapy water between uses
All raw vegetables, salads and fruits should be well washed before eating or juicing, and consumed fresh
Defrost food by placing it on the lower shelves of a refrigerator or use a microwave oven
Thoroughly cook all food of animal origin, including eggs
Keep hot foods hot (above 60°C) and cold foods cold (at or below 5°C)
Reheat food until the internal temperature of the food reaches at least 70°C (piping hot)
Re-heat left-over foods till piping hot
When using a microwave oven, read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and observe the recommended standing times, to ensure the food attains an even temperature before it is eaten

I just make sure that I eat all hot food HOT...that everything is freshly and well-cooked...and that if I'm unsure...not to eat it!!!

Initially, I thought it was going to be really hard (I'm an absolute foodie) but it actually hasn't been so hard...

The hardest thing for me is figuring out what to eat at outdoor concerts (e.g. when you bring a picnic!!!)

All the best!