Australian Food Safety Week is happening this week and Rockhampton Regional Council is reminding residents about the importance of reading food labels to keep their meals safe and their families healthy.
Planning and Regulation Councillor Grant Mathers emphasised the key message of this year's theme, 'Look before you cook – read the food labels,' urging everyone to be mindful of food safety practices that can help prevent serious health risks.
"With an estimated 4.67million cases of foodborne illness occurring each year in Australia, food safety is an issue we all need to be aware of," Cr Mathers said.
"Taking a few simple steps, like checking use-by dates, following storage instructions, and cooking food at the right temperature, can make all the difference in protecting you and your loved ones."
Cr Mathers also highlighted that foodborne illnesses are not just a temporary inconvenience.
"These illnesses can lead to serious health complications such as reactive arthritis, so it's crucial to ensure food is properly stored, cooked, and handled," Cr Mathers said.
To help residents stay food safe, we encourage the community to follow these tips:
- Check out the 'use by date' on packaged food and use it by that date. To prevent food waste you can remove the food from its packaging and freeze it for later use. You can also cook the food into a meal and freeze in shallow containers.
- 'Best before dates' mean just that: the food will be best before that date but can be eaten after that although it may have lost some nutrition or quality.
- Some very long-life foods, such as cans, may not have a date mark as it is assumed you'll have eaten it by then. But check cans for any swelling, dents or rusting and discard them.
- Put your most recent food purchases at the back of the pantry or fridge so you use the oldest product first.
- The date marking will only be safe if you follow the storage instructions such as keep refrigerated under 4°C, keep frozen under minus 15°C or 'store in a cool dry place'.
