Trading Standards Officers work to make sure that food on sale in shops and restaurants is of the quality expected and is fit to eat. Good food hygiene and correct storage plays a large part in ensuring that food standards remain acceptable.

Things to avoid when shopping include:

• Overloaded chilled or frozen food cabinets.
• Food cabinets that are not properly chilled.
• Damaged or open packages.
• Food counters where cooked and raw meats and dairy products are not kept separate.
• It is important that food handlers wash their hands thoroughly between handling raw and cooked foods.
• Different utensils should be used for cooked and raw foods.
• Buy frozen and chilled foods at the end of your shopping trip to make sure that they are kept out of the chiller or freezer cabinets for the shortest possible time.
• Look for the “Use By” dates on foods and only buy food that you know will be eaten before the date stated.
• If a restaurant or cafe doesn’t appear to be clean, don’t eat there.

When at home:

• Always follow the storage instructions on the packaging.
• Never eat food that is past its “Use By” date.
• Keep raw and cooked meats covered and in separate parts of the fridge.
• Cool food as quickly as possible before storing in a fridge or freezer. Consider dividing large amounts of food or slicing meat to reduce cooling times.