Meat safety tips

Some great tips to for food safety and reducing food waste. 

Meat can be expensive to purchase. Here are some food safety tips on how to be food safe with meat and how to store it reduce food waste. 

Before use

  • Always wash your hands before and after handling raw meat.
  • Do not wash meat or chicken before use, this could cause bacteria to be carried by the water and splashed around the kitchen. It is better to ensure the meat is cooked thoroughly.

Storage

  • Keep food at safe temperatures, cold food below 50C and hot food above 600C.
  • Always store raw meat in the fridge and below 50C – this reduces the risk of food poisoning by either stopping or slowing the growth of bacteria. 
  • Raw meat should be stored on the lowest shelf in the fridge to prevent contamination of other foods.
  • Tip – the lower shelves of a fridge are usually the coldest!
  • When storing meat in the freezer, wrap it and mark it with the date it was frozen. This effectively puts the use by date on pause. If the meat has 2 days until the use by prior to freezing, then it will have 2 days left after thawing. 

Preparation

  • Always defrost meat in the refrigerator or microwave, NOT on the bench top or in water.
  • Use a separate chopping board for raw meats and other foods.
  • If cooking chicken, pork, sausages or mince make sure it is cooked all the way through and the juices run clear.  

Storage after cooking

  • After cooking you need to follow the two-hour/four-hour rule.
  • Less than 2 hours, you can eat or once stopped steaming, cover and refrigerate. Leftovers can be kept for no longer than 2-3 days in the refrigerator, then either eat, freeze or throw away.
  • Between 2 and 4 hours post cooking: consume food immediately or throw away.
  • More than 4 hours post cooking: food must be thrown away as it is not safe to eat or store.

Tip: use by versus best before

  • Use by: Food safety: food is not safe to eat past the use by date.
  • Best before: Food quality: the food may still be safe to eat, however the nutritional value and the quality of the food may have deteriorated. 

Latest news

In a world where you can be anything, be kind

Find out more
In a world where you can be anything, be kind

nom! Schools creating lasting impact

Find out more
nom! Schools creating lasting impact

Building confidence and healthy habits with the nom! Children program

Find out more
Building confidence and healthy habits with the nom! Children program

Bigger than the game

Find out more
Bigger than the game

School Breakfast Program really delivers

Find out more
School Breakfast Program really delivers

Foodbank WA Community Kitchen delivers half a million meals

Find out more
Foodbank WA Community Kitchen delivers half a million meals

Regional partnerships help to meet growing demand

Find out more
Regional partnerships help to meet growing demand

Foodbank WA fights hunger with FREE fruit and vegetables

Find out more
Foodbank WA fights hunger with FREE fruit and vegetables

Protein power

Find out more
Protein power

Ex-squeeze me, did someone say oranges?

Find out more
Ex-squeeze me, did someone say oranges?

Stand-by list for Christmas Hampers

Find out more
Stand-by list for Christmas Hampers

Powering food relief in Kalgoorlie Goldfields

Find out more
Powering food relief in Kalgoorlie Goldfields

Those most vulnerable, hit hardest

Find out more
Those most vulnerable, hit hardest

A thank you to melt hearts

Find out more
A thank you to melt hearts

From broken to brave

Find out more
From broken to brave

At Costa, every mushroom counts

Find out more
At Costa, every mushroom counts

Find us on the Charity Trail

Find out more
Find us on the Charity Trail

Wheels of hope

Find out more
Wheels of hope

Alcoa continues to support Southwest communities

Find out more
Alcoa continues to support Southwest communities

National Nutrition Week

Find out more
National Nutrition Week

Anti-Poverty Week – A call to action

Find out more
Anti-Poverty Week – A call to action

A world away from everything you know

Find out more
A world away from everything you know

Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do

Find out more
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do

Community classrooms: nom! Schools delivers sessions in the red dirt

Find out more
Community classrooms: nom! Schools delivers sessions in the red dirt

So much more than the post

Find out more
So much more than the post

Food relief for students thanks to Allianz Partners

Find out more
Food relief for students thanks to Allianz Partners

It takes a village – Help us grow our volunteer community

Find out more
It takes a village – Help us grow our volunteer community

Corporate Volunteering: Make a difference together

Find out more
Corporate Volunteering: Make a difference together

Team up, give back, make a difference

Find out more
Team up, give back, make a difference

What we eat influences how we feel

Find out more
What we eat influences how we feel

ToyBox helping us to deliver nom! sessions

Find out more
ToyBox helping us to deliver nom! sessions

Repurposing is our middle name

Find out more
Repurposing is our middle name

Bringing food relief closer to home

Find out more
Bringing food relief closer to home

Diary of a Foodbank volunteer

Find out more
Diary of a Foodbank volunteer

nom! Kids takes over

Find out more
nom! Kids takes over

We are excited about our Grain Program

Find out more
We are excited about our Grain Program

Rain, hail or shine

Find out more
Rain, hail or shine

Cooking for a cause

Find out more
Cooking for a cause

Serving up a unique menu

Find out more
Serving up a unique menu

Small business, big heart

Find out more
Small business, big heart

Our Volunteer Stories | Teamwork

Find out more
Our Volunteer Stories | Teamwork

Nom! building confidence, connection and lifelong healthy habits

Find out more
Nom! building confidence, connection and lifelong healthy habits

Do you have a Workplace Giving Program?

Find out more
Do you have a Workplace Giving Program?

Consistency is key

Find out more
Consistency is key

The seal of freshness

Find out more
The seal of freshness

nom! Children program takes stress out of mealtimes

Find out more
nom! Children program takes stress out of mealtimes

What do our customers say?

Find out more
What do our customers say?

ERFAS 5 Year milestone

Find out more
ERFAS 5 Year milestone

How we said Thank You

Find out more
How we said Thank You

Iluka serving up food relief to the mid-west

Find out more
Iluka serving up food relief to the mid-west

The power of resilience and a hand up

Find out more
The power of resilience and a hand up

Making meals, making memories

Find out more
Making meals, making memories

Local love – sourcing fresh food in our backyard

Find out more
Local love – sourcing fresh food in our backyard

Ordinary people, extraordinary impact 

Find out more
Ordinary people, extraordinary impact 

The surprising group facing a lack of food in Australia 

Find out more
The surprising group facing a lack of food in Australia 

Fresh linen restores hope

Find out more
Fresh linen restores hope

Together with Telethon, we are changing lives

Find out more
Together with Telethon, we are changing lives

Foodbank Agency Pantry Project

Find out more
Foodbank Agency Pantry Project

Shane’s Story

Find out more
Shane’s Story

How do we source fresh fruit and vegetables?

Find out more
How do we source fresh fruit and vegetables?

Interesting facts about Foodbank WA

Find out more
Interesting facts about Foodbank WA

Making life a little bit easier | Mark’s Story

Find out more
Making life a little bit easier | Mark’s Story

South 32, Southern Ports and Talison Lithium support their local community

Find out more
South 32, Southern Ports and Talison Lithium support their local community

Building confidence and healthy habits with the nom! Children program

Find out more
Building confidence and healthy habits with the nom! Children program

Our Volunteer Stories | The Pink Ladies

Find out more
Our Volunteer Stories | The Pink Ladies

Tackling hunger in the Goldfields

Find out more
Tackling hunger in the Goldfields

Arc Infrastructure continues much needed support in Wheatbelt

Find out more
Arc Infrastructure continues much needed support in Wheatbelt

Southern Ports supports struggling families

Find out more
Southern Ports supports struggling families

Omega Fresh ups the ante

Find out more
Omega Fresh ups the ante

Western Australian farmers feeding hope

Find out more
Western Australian farmers feeding hope

Lisa’s Story

Find out more
Lisa’s Story

How do we meet demand?

Find out more
How do we meet demand?

Christmas spirit reaches remote WA with food hampers for families

Find out more
Christmas spirit reaches remote WA with food hampers for families

Our Volunteer Stories | Lyndsay

Find out more
Our Volunteer Stories | Lyndsay

Food is a basic human right

Find out more
Food is a basic human right

30 years of change

Find out more
30 years of change

Meat Food Safety Tips

Find out more
Meat Food Safety Tips

It could be your Mum or Dad, or you.

Find out more
It could be your Mum or Dad, or you.

What does 26,200 kilos of fruit look like?

Find out more
What does 26,200 kilos of fruit look like?

Our Volunteer Stories | Maggie

Find out more
Our Volunteer Stories | Maggie

A paw-fect Partnership

Find out more
A paw-fect Partnership

Nourishing the Mind

Find out more
Nourishing the Mind

Superhero Foods® HQ

Find out more
Superhero Foods® HQ

A microscopic tale of hunger, hormones and hope

Find out more
A microscopic tale of hunger, hormones and hope

From plate to bin: The hidden impact of ​​​​​​​uneaten food

Find out more
From plate to bin: The hidden impact of ​​​​​​​uneaten food

Bo-Anne’s Story

Find out more
Bo-Anne’s Story

Costa Mushrooms, you mean so mush to us

Find out more
Costa Mushrooms, you mean so mush to us

Jawaria story | Supporting new parents to make healthy choices

Find out more
Jawaria story | Supporting new parents to make healthy choices

From Pantry Partner to community plate

Find out more
From Pantry Partner to community plate

Paul’s story | A pillar of strength

Find out more
Paul’s story | A pillar of strength

From FOOD Cent$ to nom!

Find out more
From FOOD Cent$ to nom!

Your recipe for fun, healthy eating

Find out more
Your recipe for fun, healthy eating

The art of saving perfectly good food

Find out more
The art of saving perfectly good food

Jane’s Story | Finding strength in giving back

Find out more
Jane’s Story | Finding strength in giving back

Our Volunteer Stories | Stuart

Find out more
Our Volunteer Stories | Stuart

Leah’s Story

Find out more
Leah’s Story

Our Volunteer Stories | Al

Find out more
Our Volunteer Stories | Al

Our Volunteer Stories | Kurt

Find out more
Our Volunteer Stories | Kurt

Neto’s Story | Resilience, Hope and a Pantry Full of Kindness

Find out more
Neto’s Story | Resilience, Hope and a Pantry Full of Kindness

Beverley’s Story | A Mother’s Love and the Mobile Foodbank

Find out more
Beverley’s Story | A Mother’s Love and the Mobile Foodbank