At the WI Learning Hub, we’re always looking for ways to help members follow their passions and support you to do what you love doing. That’s why we’ve teamed up with the Food Standards Agency to bring you some important food safety reminders.
Sometimes, the risks posed by unsafe and unhygienic kitchen practices are hard to spot. You can’t see or smell harmful bacteria, but it can be there.
Read on to find out more about the FSA’s latest campaign…
‘Bacteria Love it Here’ Campaign 2025
Harmful bacteria love your kitchen, even if you can’t see, smell or taste it.
The bacteria that cause foodborne illness can thrive at home. In fact, research shows over a third of food poisoning cases originate in domestic kitchens.
Food poisoning is particularly risky for vulnerable people who are older, pregnant and immunocompromised. These groups of people tend to have weaker immune systems, experience more severe symptoms and take longer to overcome food poisoning.
The good news is that small changes to home habits can make a big difference in keeping you and your loved ones safe, particularly anyone who is considered vulnerable
That’s why the Food Standards Agency has launched ‘Bacteria Love it Here’, a campaign helping people take simple steps to protect themselves and others.
Invisible bacteria like Salmonella and Campylobacter can spread easily in kitchens. Risky habits – not washing hands properly, reheating food more than once, or poor fridge storage – all increase the chance of food poisoning. But the good news is that small changes really do add up.
Keeping your fridge between 0-5°C, cooking and reheating food until it’s steaming hot, and avoiding washing raw meat and fish are easy fixes that dramatically cut the risk.
Wiping down surfaces, cooling and covering leftovers quickly, and using separate utensils for raw and cooked food also help stop bacteria in their tracks.
We all have a role to play in keeping our kitchens safe. By making these small changes today, we can protect ourselves, our families, and our communities tomorrow. Break up with bacteria by following simple kitchen hygiene tips at Food safety and hygiene at home | Food Standards Agency
People who are most likely to suffer severe symptoms from food poisoning are young children, pregnant women, people with an underlying health condition (such as cancer, diabetes, liver and kidney disease) and older people. People in these groups can have lower immunity, meaning it is more difficult to fight off bacteria and viruses. Some medications can also affect your immune system; you can find out more about these from your healthcare professionals. Extra care should be taken when preparing, cooking and storing food for yourself or others in these groups.
Top Ten Tips
1. Always wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food and after touching raw food.
2. Always reheat food until it is steaming hot all the way through. You can only reheat your food once.
3. Don’t wash meat. It can splash harmful bacteria onto hands, work surfaces, ready-to-eat foods and cooking equipment.
4. Check your fridge temperature is always between 0 and 5°C.
5. Don’t eat, cook or freeze your food after its use-by date. And remember, you cannot smell the bacteria which can make you ill.
6. Dish cloths and tea towels should be washed in the washing machine on a hot cycle. After you wash them, let them dry before you use them again as dirty, damp cloths allow bacteria to breed.
7. Remember to cool and cover your food after cooking and put it in a fridge or freezer within one to two hours. Do not leave food in the pan for extended periods of time as bacteria may grow.
8. Clean kitchen surfaces and equipment thoroughly before and after food preparation to prevent bacteria spreading.
9. Defrost food safely – in the fridge, not at room temperature, and never refreeze food that’s already been defrosted.
10. Wash raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating, even if you plan to peel them, as bacteria can transfer from the outside surface.
Helpful links:
Student guide to food safety and hygiene | Food Standards Agency
Why is cleaning important | Food Standards Agency
Cooking your food | Food Standards Agency
Why avoiding cross-contamination is important | Food Standards Agency
How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely | Food Standards Agency
Best before and use-by dates | Food Standards Agency
Raw pet food | Food Standards Agency
Raw drinking milk | Food Standards Agency
Handling flour and flour products safely | Food Standards Agency