The animal whisperer
Don’t let a tummy ache spoil the fun during the warm months
I’ve found a new home
AMANDA SAYS Peppi tells me she is still alive and living in a house with another white cat. Peppi says she went missing about four years ago when a door was accidentally left open. She was chased by another cat and got very scared as the mean cat stalked her. Peppi was a very friendly cat and let a person pick her up, but they then took her home to their place. Peppi tells me she is microchipped, but the vets did not look at that. She had a lot of fun with Debbie and her family chasing the ball and bringing it back. Debbie’s father-in-law, who is a lovely man, comes through with another cat that passed over at 22 years of age called Puppy, as she acted like a dog! Peppi, whose favourite food is chicken, really misses the family and misses the times she and Debbie would go outside to play. Peppi knows the family were looking for her for a very long time – day and night – and she knows Debbie knows she is still alive.
DEBBIE SAYS I reached out to Amanda to ease my mind that Peppi was still alive. My beautiful Dad also came through in the reading and said he’d try to help her get home. I loved it, as I knew in my heart that Peppi was still alive somewhere. It’s great to have people out there like Amanda.
The party season is something we associate with hot weather, celebrations and lots of food. But when you’re cooking for larger groups in hot weather, there’s a small risk of food poisoning – and it’s not always as simple as an upset stomach for an hour or two.
“There may be vulnerable people in the group – the very elderly, pregnant women and very small children – who can be particularly susceptible to foodborne illnesses,” says health communicator Lorraine Haase.
Food poisoning is caused by eating food contaminated with bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli, campylobacter and Listeria, which can cause nausea, cramps, vomiting, fever, diarrhoea and headaches, with the risk of further complications in some cases.
To ensure your family is safe, follow these simple food prep rules.
RULE 1 KEEP AN EYE ON FOOD TEMPERATURE
Food poisoning occurs when whatever you’re eating becomes contaminated with bacteria, often due to changing temperature.
“The danger zone is between 5 and 60°C – the temperature at which a lot of the bacteria that leads to really serious foodborne illnesses can grow really quickly,” Lorraine says.
The risk is usually associated with chilled food being out of the fridge for too long, or leaving cooked food to reach room temperature before serving it.
It also pays to be temperature aware when you’re taking treats to a friend’s house. “If you’re taking just-cooked hot food with you, then you need to use a special thermal bag, travel only within an hour and serve it fairly quickly,” Lorraine says. “Otherwise, you need to bring less-risky dry foods and cakes.”
RULE 2 PREPARE YOUR FRIDGE FOR EXTRA ITEMS
Another seasonal risk is that the warmer weather means your
fridge has to work harder to stay cool, especially when it’s packed full of extra food. “The more you have in your fridge, the harder it is to maintain a temperature of 5°C or less,” Lorraine says.
Before you do the holiday shopping, Lorraine suggests buying a fridge thermometer and removing items that don’t require constant refrigeration.
“Drinks can be chilled in buckets or sinks with ice and water,” she says. “Any sauces or things like pickles and chutneys that have a high amount of salt or vinegar will be fine in a cool cupboard for a day or two.”
RULE 3 BE MINDFUL WHEN HANDLING MEAT
“A big turkey takes a long time to defrost so always use the fridge for defrosting or buy one already defrosted from your butcher,” says Lorraine.
Once your bird is ready to be cooked, make sure it stays in the oven long enough to cook through completely. “All poultry, including chicken, is susceptible to salmonella and campylobacter unless it’s cooked right through, so use a meat thermometer to make sure it’s at least 75°C in the thickest part of the meat such as breast and thigh.”
Pork, beef and lamb can be safely cooked to lower temperatures. And use separate plates and cooking utensils for handling raw and cooked meat.
RULE 4 TAKE CARE WITH EGGS
“Any dishes with eggs that aren’t going to be cooked, like tiramisu, eggnog, chocolate mousse, mayonnaise or aioli, can become contaminated really easily,” Lorraine warns.
The risk comes from using the eggshell to separate the yolks, which can lead to contamination with bacteria on the outside of the shell. It’s fine to do this if the egg will be cooked because bacteria will be killed through heating.
RULE 5 KEEP SEAFOOD FRESH
The freshest seafood is usually safest, and is best consumed within a day of purchase. Even then, it’s important to take care.
“Oysters, sushi, sashimi and pre-cooked prawns served cold are not recommended for vulnerable people,” Lorraine says. “But for everyone else, as long as it’s sourced from a proper seafood supplier, it should be safe.”
Take time to clean and rinse seafood well (remove the vein from prawns before serving and put out enough finger bowls).
RULE 6 BE SALAD SAVVY
Lorraine says fruit and vegies can be risky if not rinsed well. “Salad vegetables and cut fruit can be problematic, so prepare your salad and fruit salad on the day you’re going to use it and refrigerate immediately.”
It’s also vital to wash fresh produce well, separating lettuce leaves, which may be contaminated with bacteria from soil or people handling them.