What do you need to know?
• Juices from defrosted food can contain harmful bugs. If these juices get onto other food and surfaces they can make people sick.
• If food is only partially defrosted, it may not reach the correct temperatures during cooking to destroy bugs.
What do you need to do?
• Plan ahead if using frozen food so you have enough time to thaw it safely, either in the fridge or chiller.
• When provided, thaw products according to manufacturer’s instructions.
• Keep food being defrosted in a container and near the bottom of the fridge/chiller to stop juices from spreading onto surfaces and other foods.
• If you can’t defrost food in a fridge/chiller, you can use any (or a combination) of these methods: (tick as appropriate)
thaw in the microwave and use food immediately
thaw under running cold water in an air tight
container
defrost on the bench for no more than 4 hours
• Once thawed, foods that are normally kept cold or kept hot must be refrigerated, cooked or kept hot.
• Food must be fully defrosted before being reheated or cooked.
What do you need to show?
• Show your verifier:
◦◦ how you defrost your food,
◦◦ how you keep defrosted food safe.
