Food Safety Matters

13/10/2025

23/09/2025

Bacteria love your chaotic fridge 😅! Why do we feel triggered?🤣

Do you pack your fridge in a food safe manner?

Setting your fridge at the right temperature and stocking it correctly helps you keep your food safe to eat. ​

Keep everything sealed, safe and separate, with raw ingredients like meat, poultry and seafood at the bottom. ​

If your fridge is too warm, and food is stored in the wrong place, food could become unsafe to eat. ​

https://www.food.gov.uk/breakup-with-bacteria

22/09/2025

🧠 Myth Buster Monday!

❌ MYTH: Freezing kills all bacteria.
✅ TRUTH: Freezing only pauses bacteria — it doesn’t kill them. Handle thawed food with care.

💬 Did you think freezing was a kill switch?

15/09/2025

🧠 Myth Buster Monday!

❌ MYTH: Vinegar works just as well as sanitiser.
✅ TRUTH: Vinegar helps clean but doesn’t meet food safety standards. Use a SANS-approved disinfectant.

💬 Do you rely on vinegar in your kitchen?

11/09/2025

Rice safety 🍚🍚🍚

It's National Rice Week and one of the questions we get asked the most is "can you reheat rice?"

The answer is yes, if you cool it quickly and safely and eat within 24 hours.

Once cooled, you should keep it in the fridge and not in your rice cooker, steamer or pan.

This is because rice can contain spores of harmful bacteria. And if cooked rice is left at room temperature or chilled too slowly, the bacteria could start growing again from the spores.

These bacteria will multiply with time and may produce toxins that cause food poisoning. Reheating will not get rid of these.

So, if you don't think you'll eat the rice the next day, consider popping it in your freezer to enjoy another time.

08/09/2025

🧠 Myth Buster Monday!

❌ MYTH: Let hot food cool completely before refrigerating.
✅ TRUTH: Leaving food out too long = bacteria growth. Refrigerate within two hours.

💬 How long do you leave leftovers out?

04/09/2025

🎓 Calling Future Food Scientists and Food Technologists!

The SAAFoST Foundation is offering bursaries to eligible matriculants pursuing full-time studies in Food Science and Technology.

📌 Selection is based on:
✅ Academic performance
✅ Employment equity considerations
✅ Demonstrated potential in the field

If you know a School Principal, Teacher, or Matriculant, please share this opportunity. Let’s open doors to a future of innovation and impact in food science!

🔗 https://tinyurl.com/mr4cf8ww
📅 Deadline: 31 October 2025

01/09/2025

01/09/2025

🎉 Future Food Safety Heroes in the making! 🦸‍♀️🦸‍♂️

On Friday, we had the privilege of training 12 talented Bakery students at the The Ray Mhlaba Skills Training Centre in our Food Safety for the Food Handler course: How to Become a Food Safety Hero. 🥖🍞🍰

It was inspiring to see their passion for baking matched with a strong commitment to keeping food safe. 💚 By learning these essential skills, they’re not only preparing for successful careers, but also helping to protect the health of the communities they’ll serve.

👏 Well done to each student — we’re proud to call you Food Safety Heroes!

01/09/2025

🧠 Myth Buster Monday!

❌ MYTH: It’s fine to defrost meat on the counter.
✅ TRUTH: Dangerous bacteria multiply fast at room temperature. Use the fridge, microwave, or cold water instead.

💬 What’s your go-to method for defrosting meat?

31/08/2025

👉 Still haven’t completed your Food Safety Training?
⚖️ South African law (Regulation R638) requires every food business to have a trained Person in Charge to get a Certificate of Acceptability (COA).
📚 Our accredited online course makes it quick, affordable, and easy — no classrooms, learn at your own pace.
❗️Don’t risk fines or closure. Get compliant today!

Learn more at ➡️www.foodsafetymatters.co.za⬅️

30/08/2025

Where’s the best place to keep your eggs? In the fridge or on the counter?

Here at the FSA, we say that eggs should be stored in a cool, dry, and clean place. And at home we recommend keeping them in your fridge.

But, if that's the case, why do many supermarkets keep them on shelves and not in fridges?

It's all about temperature control. Changes in temperature can lead to condensation on the surface of the egg and this condensation can lead to increased pe*******on of bacteria into the egg. And these bacteria can cause food poisoning, such as from salmonella.

In a domestic kitchen, temperatures can change a lot through the day, which can create condensation on the eggshell. But your fridge can maintain a constant temperature and that's why we recommend keeping your eggs in your fridge instead of out on the counter.

Supermarkets, on the other hand, often have temperature control systems in place, such as air conditioning. They are also less likely to experience big changes in temperature. This means they can store eggs safely on shelves without the risk of condensation forming on eggshells.

Plus, there’s also the possibility that eggs may also be out longer in a domestic setting than in a retail setting.