Meat Safety & Hygiene

Knowledgeable handling and responsible preparation of meat are vital stages even before cooking commences. This section tells you how to look after your meat in the best possible way.

Whole cuts or joints?

Whole cuts or joints of lamb and beef are traditionally served pink or rare.

Reheating meat

When reheating meat, it needs to be piping hot all through and reach a core temperature of 82°C. It should not be reheated a second time.

Play it cool

Once cooked, meat that is not going to be served should be cooled as fast as possible. The safest way is to divide it into smaller amounts in shallow dishes. It should not be ‘forced’ by refrigeration as this could warm up other food in the fridge.

Storing food (hot and chilled)

Temperature control is essential to prevent risk to health.

Hot

Hot food must be kept above 63°C.

Chilled

Chilled food must be kept at or below 8°C: the coldest part of your fridge should be between 0°C and 5°C.