Food Safety





An important part of preparing meals is handling food safely.  

The food we eat in Canada is very safe compared to that available in many other countries.  However, food can be contaminated easily by viruses, bacteria, and parasites.  Learning about safe food handling and preparation keeps the athlete safe. 

Food poisoning is very common and affects millions of Canadians each year.  Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and stomach pain.  

Read the following safety tips:

Keep hot food "hot" and cold food "cold" so that your food never reaches the temperature danger zone, which is between 4 C and 60 C.  This is the temperature zone in which bacteria can grow quickly.
  • Refrigerate your meat, fish, and poultry within two hours of purchasing it.
  • Keep your meat, fish, and poultry in separate containers so that meat is not in contact with other food in the fridge.
  • Store deli meats in the fridge and use them within four days
  • Cook meat, fish, and poultry no more than two to three days after purchasing.  Otherwise, freeze your meat.
 

 The safest way to thaw food is to move it from the freezer to the refrigerator.  Always defrost meat in the fridge, in cold water, or in the microwave, and never at room temperature.  Never re-freeze foods.
 
 

 Cooking food properly is the best way to be sure it is safe. 
  • Use a thermometer to measure the temperature of your cooked foods.  Click here for more information on Health Canada's safe internal temperatures. 
  • When cooking vegetables or fruit, cut away bruised areas because bacteria can grow in these places.
  • Keep hot foods at or above 60 C.


  • Refrigerate or freeze all leftovers within two hours of their preparation.
  • Be careful not to overstock the fridge.  Cool air must circulate freely for effective cooling.
  • Use leftovers within two to four days.
  • Reheat food to a temperature of at least 74 C.


Eggs sometimes can be contaminated by salmonella, which usually is found on the shell but can sometimes get inside the egg.
  • Choose refrigerated eggs with uncracked, clean shells.
  • Eggs should not be kept at room temperature for more than two hours.
  • If you have eggs in your lunch, be sure to pack an icepack to keep them cold.
  • Hard boiled eggs can be kept in a container in the fridge for one week.
  • Wash your hands after handling raw eggs.
  • Avoid food items that include raw or under-cooked eggs, such as cookie dough, mayonnaise, homemade salad dressings.