What do you need to know?
• Some foods are likely to be contaminated with bugs that will make people sick or die.
• Cooking is a common way to kill these bugs and make the food safe to eat.
• Foods that need to be cooked to be safe include poultry and meat.
What do you need to do?
• Cook poultry, minced meat and chicken livers using the ‘Cooking poultry, minced meat and chicken liver’ card. Other meats can be served rare but must be seared before serving.
• Follow any manufacturer’s instructions for cooking processed and ready-to-eat foods/ingredients.
• Always check dishes for cold spots, they must be cooked evenly and all the way through.
• Stir dishes frequently to avoid cold spots.
• Cooked food that is held between 5°C and 60°C, can be reheated again to above 75°C and served hot (above 60°C) within 4 hours, otherwise, it must be thrown out.
• Check the temperature of your food by:
using a probe thermometer to check the internal temperature of the food, or
using an infrared thermometer to measure the surface temperature of the food, or
using an automated system to monitor the internal temperature or surface temperature of your food (e.g. data logger).
What do you need to show?
• Show your verifier how you know your food is always thoroughly cooked by:
◦◦ taking the temperature of each item of food you cook, and/or
◦◦ using the manufacturer’s instructions.
