Look before you cook

Published on 08 November 2024

typed use by date on top of food container

Have you ever had food poisoning?

Byron Shire Council is promoting Food Safety Week and the theme for 2024 is Look Before You Cook.

Tim Connors, from Council’s Environmental Health team, said one way of avoiding food poisoning in the home kitchen is to read the ‘use by’ or ‘best by’ dates on things in the fridge or pantry.

“Anyone who has had food poisoning or another associated illness knows how awful it is and while most people recover quickly there are times when it can be really dangerous,” Mr Connors said.

“There are rare cases where there can be long-lasting impacts on people’s health and that’s why we are recommending people take extra care in the kitchen,” he said.

National Food Safety Week runs from 9 to 16 November and the key messages this year are:

Check ‘use by’ dates.
Do not use food from cans that are dented, swollen or rusting.
Make sure the temperatures of home fridges are under four degrees Celsius and freezers are minus 15 degrees Celsius or colder.
Follow cooking instructions on the packet.