Written by Andrea Reviewed by Daniel

7 Things Food Safety Experts Would Avoid

Ever found yourself sniffing last night’s curry wondering if it’s still good for the kids’ lunch? Or maybe you’ve served up what you thought was perfectly cooked chicken, only to slice into it and find it’s still a bit pink inside?

We’ve all been there! Cooking for the family shouldn’t feel like a game of Russian roulette, but sometimes it can feel that way when you’re not sure what’s safe and what isn’t.

The truth is, most food poisoning cases happen right in our own kitchens, not in dodgy restaurants like we might think. But here’s the brilliant news: once you know what to watch out for, keeping your family safe is actually pretty straightforward.

So let’s chat about the seven things that make food safety experts go “absolutely not!” when they’re cooking for their loved ones.

Table of Contents

The Biggest Kitchen No Nos According To Experts

These are the habits and foods that have professionals shaking their heads. Some might surprise you, whilst others will have you thinking “I knew that was dodgy!”

#1: Using The Same Chopping Board For Meat And Veg

This is the classic mistake that makes every food safety expert wince. Picture this: you’ve just chopped up some raw chicken on your wooden board, given it a quick rinse, and now you’re dicing tomatoes for the salad. Sounds harmless enough, right? Wrong!

slices of bacon on a white chopping board

That innocent looking chopping board is now a bacterial playground. Raw meat juices can harbour Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter, and these nasties love nothing more than to hitch a ride onto your fresh vegetables.

The simple fix? Invest in multiple chopping boards or use different sides of a reversible one. Many families swear by colour coded boards: red for raw meat, green for vegetables, and blue for fish. It’s like having a traffic light system in your kitchen!

If you’re working with limited space, wash the board thoroughly with hot soapy water between uses, or better yet, use separate plates if you don’t have multiple boards. Your family’s tummies will thank you for it.

#2: Trusting Your Eyes To Tell If Meat Is Cooked

“It looks done to me!” is probably the most dangerous phrase in any kitchen. We’ve all done it, poked at a piece of chicken and thought “yep, that’s golden brown, it must be cooked through.” But here’s what food safety experts know that we often forget: bacteria don’t care how pretty your meat looks on the outside.

Campylobacter, Salmonella, and other unwelcome dinner guests can be lurking inside that perfectly browned chicken breast. Even experienced chefs can’t tell if meat is safely cooked just by looking at it.

A meat thermometer isn’t just for professional kitchens, it’s your best friend for family cooking! Chicken needs to hit 75°C throughout, beef should reach 63°C for medium rare, and pork needs 71°C. It might seem confusing at first, but once you get into the habit, it takes literally seconds to check.

Think of it like checking your child’s temperature when they’re poorly, you wouldn’t guess, would you? Same principle applies to your Sunday roast!

#3: Leaving Food Out “Just For A Bit”

We’ve all been guilty of this one. The kids are having a meltdown, the phone’s ringing, and somehow that lovely shepherd’s pie ends up sitting on the counter for three hours while life happens around it.

Food safety experts call this the “danger zone,” and it’s not because they’re being dramatic. Between 5°C and 63°C, bacteria multiply faster! What starts as a perfectly safe meal can become a stomach bug waiting to happen.

The magic number is two hours. Any perishable food left out longer than that needs to go straight in the bin, no matter how much it cost or how long it took to make. In hot weather (above 32°C), that window shrinks to just one hour.

For busy parents, this means packing away party food quickly, getting those lunchboxes back in the fridge if they come home uneaten, and resisting the urge to leave dinner out whilst you sort the bedtime chaos.

#4: Keeping Leftovers Past Their Prime

Leftovers are a parent’s best friend until they become the enemy! We love them because they save time, money, and sanity on busy weeknights. But food safety experts know that yesterday’s dinner can quickly become today’s problem if not handled properly.

The issue isn’t just how long leftovers have been hanging about, it’s also how they were stored. That massive pot of chilli needs to be divided into smaller containers so it cools down quickly. Large portions can stay warm in the middle for hours, creating the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.

Leftovers should be eaten within three days maximum, and that’s if they’ve been stored properly in the fridge at 4°C or below. When reheating, make sure everything reaches 75°C throughout, and never reheat more than once.

If you’re meal prepping for the week, consider freezing portions instead of keeping everything in the fridge. Your future self will appreciate having safe, ready made meals rather than playing leftover roulette.

Fresh Food That Aren’t As Safe As They Look

Just because something’s fresh doesn’t automatically make it safe. These everyday ingredients can catch even careful cooks off guard.

#5: Munching On Raw Cookie Dough

Let’s be honest, we’ve all done it. There’s something irresistible about raw cookie dough, and most of us grew up thinking the worst thing that could happen was a slight tummy ache. But food safety experts know better, and it’s not just about the raw eggs (though they’re definitely part of the problem).

Raw flour can actually harbour E. coli, which sounds mental because we think of flour as this innocent, harmless ingredient. But it’s not heat treated, bacteria from the wheat fields can stick around until you bake it.

Add raw eggs into the mix, and you’ve got a potential Salmonella situation on your hands. Children are particularly vulnerable to these infections, which can be serious.

The solution? Make edible cookie dough specifically for munching! Heat treat your flour by spreading it on a baking tray and popping it in a 180°C oven for five minutes, then use pasteurised eggs or egg substitute. You get all the fun with none of the risk.

#6: Assuming Pre Washed Salads Are Actually Clean

That bag of rocket that says “ready to eat” might not be as ready as you think. Food safety experts are surprisingly cautious about pre washed salads and vegetables, especially when serving them to children or anyone with a weakened immune system.

The problem is that these leaves have often travelled quite a distance and been handled by multiple people before reaching your kitchen. Even with industrial washing, bacteria like E. coli and Listeria can cling on, particularly in the tiny crevices of leafy greens.

A quick rinse under cold running water is always worth doing, even with pre washed salads. It’s one of those “better safe than sorry” habits that takes seconds but could save you from a nasty bout of food poisoning.

For extra peace of mind, especially if you’re pregnant or cooking for very young children, give those leaves a proper wash and dry them thoroughly with kitchen paper or a salad spinner.

#7: Serving Runny Eggs To Little Ones

This one breaks many parents’ hearts because children often love dippy eggs. But food safety experts are firm on this: runny eggs are off the menu for young children, pregnant women, elderly family members, and anyone with a compromised immune system.

The issue is Salmonella, which can be present even in clean, uncracked eggs. Whilst the risk is relatively low, the consequences can be serious, particularly for vulnerable family members.

Cook eggs until both the white and yolk are firm. This doesn’t mean you can’t make eggs exciting! Scrambled eggs can be creamy and delicious, and you can still make lovely poached eggs that are cooked through.

If you’re making homemade mayonnaise, ice cream, or other treats that traditionally use raw eggs, consider using pasteurised eggs instead. Many supermarkets stock them, and they’re brilliant for recipes where eggs won’t be cooked.

Building Better Kitchen Habits For Your Family

The good news is that safe cooking doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful. Once these habits become second nature, you’ll wonder why you ever worried about food safety.

Keep your fridge cold enough
It should be 5°C or below, which is colder than many people think. If your milk is going off quickly or your vegetables are getting slimy faster than expected, your fridge might be too warm.
Wash your hands like you mean it
Twenty seconds of proper handwashing with soap and warm water, especially after handling raw meat or eggs. It’s probably the most effective thing you can do to prevent foodborne illness.
When in doubt, throw it out
That leftover curry that smells a bit funny? The chicken that’s been in the fridge for five days? Trust your instincts. No meal is worth a family trip to the doctor.
Keep raw and cooked foods separate in your fridge and shopping trolley
Raw meat should always go on the bottom shelf where it can’t drip onto other foods.

Your Family Deserves Safe And Delicious Meals

Cooking safely doesn’t mean sacrificing taste or fun in the kitchen. It just means being a bit more mindful about the basics. Once you get into these habits, they become as automatic as checking your child is wearing their seatbelt before driving off.

Remember, food safety experts follow these rules in their own homes because they work. These aren’t just guidelines for restaurants or food manufacturers, they’re the foundation of keeping everyone we love healthy and happy.

So next time you’re rustling up dinner, think like a food safety expert. Your family’s health is worth those few extra minutes of care, and you’ll sleep better knowing that everyone’s getting meals that are not just tasty, but properly safe too.

Why not share these tips with your mum friends or pop them in the family WhatsApp group? Because let’s face it, we could all use a gentle reminder about keeping our loved ones safe in the kitchen.

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