AFSW2017 Sample Media Release

Under embargo until 11 November 2017

Australians urged to use a food thermometer for great food – cooked safely every time

Australian Food Safety Week 11-18 November 2017

As part of Australian Food Safety Week [Name] from [Organisation] today urged local consumers to buy and use a food thermometer

‘A Food Safety Information Council survey has found that 75% of Australians surveyed reported that there wasn’t a food thermometer in their household and only 44% of those with a thermometer reported using is over the previous month,’ [Name] said.

‘There are an estimated 4.1 million cases of food poisoning in Australia each year that result in 31,920 hospitalisations, 86 deaths and 1 million visits to doctors. There are also escalating rates of Campylobacter and Salmonella infection, that are particularly linked to poorly cooked poultry and egg dishes.

‘To help reduce this number, we are encouraging all Australians to pick up a food thermometer from their local homeware store and learn how to use it properly. This will not only ensure safer food but you will also be able to cook the perfect piece of meat.

‘Here are 4 simple tips on how to use a food thermometer:

  1. Follow any instructions on the thermometer’s packaging.
  2. You should place the food thermometer in the thickest part of the food and as close to the centre as possible and it should not touch bone, fat, or gristle.
  3. Start checking the temperature toward the end of cooking, but before you expect it to be done.
  4. Be sure to clean the stem of your food thermometer before and after each use.

‘You can find a list of the correct cooking temperatures and you can test your knowledge with a food safety quiz on the Food Safety Information Council website www.foodsafety.asn.au ,’ [Name] concluded.

[INSERT paragraph/s involving local issues if appropriate and/what events are occurring locally during Food Safety Week]

Media Contacts:

[ADD LOCAL CONTACT DETAILS]

or Lydia Buchtmann, Food Safety Information Council, 0407 626 688