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SAFETY FIRST
Tips on being food safe
Christmas wouldn’t be a celebration without lots of beautiful food to share with family and friends. It is important to remember to maintain good food safety standards and avoid food poisoning. Protect your family from As we enter the wet season, the chance of king tides increases. King tides, along with rain, can cause high numbers of saltmarsh mosquitoes to hatch. Saltmarsh mosquitoes are aggressive biters, and their activity usually peaks around dawn and dusk. Council has a program for controlling mosquito breeding on State and Council owned land. Residents must take measures to ensure that mosquito breeding does not take place in their backyards.
Control the mosquitoes and you will control the disease:
✓ Cover up when outside, wear long loose-fitting clothing ✓ Use repellent ✓ Light mosquito coils ✓ Check your backyard for any items that hold water and empty them to prevent the spread of mosquito borne diseases. For more information visit townsville.qld.gov.au
So how can you protect yourself (and your guests) from food poisoning this Christmas? Check out our tips below:
✓ Use cooler bags to transport chilled food ✓ Keep drinks in a separate fridge or cooler to where cold food is stored to keep the temperature down ✓ Thaw frozen food in the fridge and make sure it has completely thawed before cooking ✓ Throw food away if you suspect it has been left out of the refrigerator for four hours or more ✓ Store seafood in an airtight container in your fridge ✓ Give your BBQ a good scrub with soapy water ✓ Wash your hands frequently ✓ Wipe down counters and surfaces thoroughly with a food-grade sanitiser ✓ Take extra care when handling high risk foods like cheese, meats and seafood.
mosquitoes this wet season
For more information visit foodsafety.com.au
