## Safe Method: Foods That Need Extra Care Some Foods Need To Be Treated With Extra Care To Make Sure They Are Safe To Eat.

Remember that raw food is often the main source of bacteria in the kitchen. Follow the advice in the 'Cooking safely' safe method on how to cook these foods. You should also take care with the following foods.

| SAFETY POINT                            |
|-----------------------------------------|
| Eggs                                    |
| Cook eggs and foods containing eggs     |
| thoroughly until they are steaming hot. |
| Eggs can contain harmful bacteria.      |
| If you cook them thoroughly this kills  |
| any bacteria.                           |
| Pasteurisation also kills bacteria,     |
| which is why pasteurised egg is the     |
| safest option.                          |

Use pasteurised egg (not ordinary eggs) in any food that will not be cooked, or only lightly cooked e.g. mayonnaise and mousse. Do not use eggs after the 'best before' date.

After this date, there is a greater chance of harmful bacteria growing in the eggs.

Make sure you rotate stock and use the oldest eggs first. Buy eggs from a reputable supplier. Store eggs in a cool, dry place.

## Rice

Rice can contain spores of a type of harmful bacteria that may not be killed by cooking or reheating.

When you have cooked rice, make sure you keep it hot until serving or chill it down as quickly as possible and then keep it in the fridge. 

If cooked rice is left at room temperature, spores can multiply and produce toxins that cause food poisoning. Reheating will not get rid of these You can make rice chill down more quickly by dividing it into smaller portions, spreading it out on a clean tray, or running it under cold water (make sure the water is clean and drinking quality).

## Pulses

Follow the instructions on the packaging on how to soak and cook dried pulses, such as beans.

Pulses can contain natural toxins that could make people ill unless they are destroyed by the proper method of soaking and cooking. Tinned pulses will have been soaked and cooked already.

List the dishes containing eggs that you prepare or cook.

Do you cook eggs and food containing eggs thoroughly until they are steaming hot?

Yes 

If not, what do you do?

How do you keep rice hot before serving?

If you chill down rice how do you do this?

Do you follow the manufacturer's instructions when cooking pulses? Yes 

If not, what do you do?Image of eggs in a carton.Image of dried pulses.

## Safety Point Why? How Do You Do This? Shellfish

Make sure you buy shellfish from a reputable supplier. 

If you do not use a reputable supplier, you cannot be confident that shellfish have been caught and handled safely. 

Keep the packaging for 60 days, after opening.

It is a legal requirement to keep labels for 60 days to trace suppliers, if needed.

Crabs, crayfish, lobster and scallops should be prepared by someone with specialist knowledge.

Some parts of these shellfish cannot be eaten and some are poisonous, so it is important to know how to remove these parts safely.

Shellfish such as prawns and scallops will change in colour and texture when they are cooked. For example, prawns turn from bluegrey to pink and scallops become milky white and firm. Langoustines (also called scampi or Dublin Bay prawns) are pink when raw and the flesh becomes firm and pink-white when they are cooked. If you use ready-cooked (pink) prawns, serve them cold or reheat them until they are piping hot all the way through.Image of raw prawns that should not be eaten as they are grey. Red X.Image of cooked prawns that can be eaten as they are pink. Green Tick.

Before cooking mussels and clams, throw away any with open or damaged shells.

If the shell is damaged or open before cooking, the shellfish might not be safe to eat.

To check that a mussel or clam is cooked, make sure the shell is open and that the mussel or clam has shrunk inside the shell. If the shell has not opened during cooking, throw it away.Image of an open mussel. Mussels can only be eaten if they are open after cooking. Green Tick.

## Fish

Make sure you buy fish from a reputable supplier.

Certain types of fish, such as mackerel, tuna, anchovies and herrings, can cause food poisoning if not kept at the correct temperature.

If you buy fresh fish make sure you store it between 0°C and 4°C. If you buy frozen fish then keep it frozen until you are ready to use it.

If you prepare crabs, crayfish, lobster and scallops, are these prepared by someone with specialist knowledge?

Yes If not, what do you do? List the types of shellfish you serve or use as an ingredient.