Food safety facts and fiction

Each year, more than 400 people die from food poisoning, and around 100,000 fall ill, usually as a result of eating poorly cooked food or food contaminated with food poisoning bugs.

At the start of Food Safety Week, here’s a quick run down of some popular food myths.

Myth 1: The five second rule

According to the “rule,” if food drops onto the floor, it’s safe to eat as long as you pick it up within five seconds.

Fact: Total fiction. However quickly you manage to retrieve it, any contact with the floor is long enough for the food to pick up germs which can make you sick.

Myth 2: The sniff test: If food looks and smells ok, then it’s ok to eat

Fact: While a bad smell or taste can be signs that food has gone off, these signs often aren’t caused by germs that give you food poisoning. So the food’s appearance, smell or taste are not reliable warning signs.

Myth 3: Raw meat – especially chicken – should always be washed before you cook it

Fact: Most raw meat has germs on it, but washing won’t get rid of them. In fact, washing is more likely to spread germs around the kitchen. Splashes containing germs can contaminate you, worktops and anything else they come into contact with. Thorough cooking is the only way to get rid of these germs.

Myth 4: A dodgy stomach is usually caused by the last thing you ate

Fact: A reasonable assumption you might think, but it’s not always the case. Food poisoning symptoms can take between one to three days to develop, so it won’t necessarily be down to the last thing you ate.

Food hygiene

Myth 5: All red meat, such as steak and burgers, can be eaten rare

Fact: Whole cuts of beef or lamb such as steaks, joints and cutlets can be eaten rare as they only have germs on the outside. As long as they are fully cooked, the germs will be killed. Burgers and sausages are made from minced meat and will have germs throughout, so they need to be cooked all the way through (as does poultry).

Myth 6: Plastic chopping boards are more hygienic than wooden ones

Fact: According to the Food Standard Agency, there isn’t any strong evidence that one type of chopping board is more hygienic than another. All chopping boards should be cleaned thoroughly after each use, and replaced if damaged – for example from deep cuts or scoring.

Myth 7: Most food poisoning is from dodgy restaurants and takeaways

Fact: While most of us have suffered from a dodgy takeaway at sometime in our lives, there is no specific evidence that eating out is the main cause of food poisoning. Food poisoning cases in the UK soar during the hot summer weather, when it is more difficult to store food safely; it’s also BBQ season!

Myth 8: “Use by” dates are there to make you buy more

Fact: This is the label you shouldn’t ignore. The “use by” date tells you how long food will stay safe. They have to be put on food that goes off quickly – and they aren’t just guesswork, the dates are worked out by scientific testing.

Don’t be tempted to eat food after the “use by” date on the label. Even if the food looks and smells fine, don’t be tempted to eat it after the “use by” date, as it could make you sick.

Myth 9: Cooked rice is as safe as any other leftover to eat so long as its stored in the fridge

Fact: Leftover cooked rice is safe to eat as long as it is cooled and refrigerated quickly after cooking and eaten within 24 hours. This is because rice can contain a type of bacterium that can survive heating.

Most other leftovers are safe to eat up to two days after cooking. Leftovers should always be heated until they are steaming hot, and never reheated more than once.

Myth 10: You should always eat food before its “best before” date

Fact: Best before” dates are about food quality, not safety, and are usually found on food that lasts a long time. If food has passed it’s “best before” date, it doesn’t mean it’s unsafe to eat, but it might have started to lose its colour, flavour or texture.