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Thawing, cooking, cooling and reheating food safely

Learn how to thaw, cook, and store food properly to prevent food poisoning. Follow tips like defrosting food in the fridge, reheating leftovers to steaming hot, and using the 2-hour/4-hour rule to manage leftovers safely. Discover safe cooking temperatures and practical advice for handling food at home.

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Thawing your food safely

  • Thaw meat and other foods in the bottom of the fridge whenever possible.
  • If you need to thaw food immediately, this is best done in the microwave or, as a last resort, under cool running water (with the food wrapped or packaged).
  • You should not leave frozen food to thaw on a bench at room temperature. This will allow the outside of the food to warm above 5ºC which will enable food poisoning bacteria to grow.
  • Make sure food is defrosted all the way through before cooking to ensure it reaches hot enough temperatures through to the centre.

What temperature should I cook my food to?

  • Proper cooking kills almost all harmful microorganisms.
  • Use a clean food thermometer to check that foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature.
  • In general, cooking food to 70°C in the centre will help ensure it is safe to eat.
  • Food Standards Australia New Zealand recommends cooking the following foods to at least 75°C in the centre:
  • all poultry (whole cuts, roast or mince) 
  • all meat that has been minced or rolled (beef, lamb, kangaroo or pork sausages, hamburgers, mince, or rolled roasts) 
  • liver and other offal.

Food Safety Information Council’s webpage

Safe Cooking Temperatures

Cooling your food safely

  • Cool and cover leftovers and put them in a fridge or freezer within 2 hours (see the 2-hour/4-hour rule below).  
  • Splitting leftovers into smaller portions aids faster cooling, which helps prevent bacteria growth. It also helps with portion control and meal planning.

Reheating leftovers safely

  • Always reheat leftovers to steaming hot (at least 60˚C). Reheating leftovers kills harmful bacteria that may have grown since it was cooked.
  • Stir microwaved food while heating to ensure it is hot all the way through.
  • Never reheat rice and pasta more than once and make sure it is steaming hot.
  • Take extra care with takeaway rice. It should be eaten soon after purchasing as some businesses may pre-cook rice and re-heat it before it is served.

The 2-hour/4-hour rule

Temperature control is very important to prevent harmful bacteria from growing in certain types of food. Food poisoning bacteria grow best between temperatures of 5°C and 60°C – also known as the ‘temperature danger zone’.

To minimise your risk of food poisoning at home, follow the 2-hour/4-hour rule.

If your leftover food has been out of the fridge for:

  • less than 2 hours – use it now, or put it back in the fridge for later
  • between 2 and 4 hours – use it now or throw it out, and
  • after 4 hours, throw the food out.

The time between 5°C and 60°C is cumulative — that means you need to add up every time the food has been out of the fridge.

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City of Kwinana kaditj kalyakoorl moondang-ak kaaradj midi boodjar-ak nyininy, yakka wer waabiny, Noongar moort. Ngala kaditj baalap kalyakoorl nidja boodjar wer kep kaaradjiny, baalap moorditj nidja yaakiny-ak wer moorditj moort wer kaditj Birdiya wer yeyi.

The City of Kwinana acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live, work and play, the Nyoongar people. We recognise their connection to the land and local waterways, their resilience and commitment to community and pay our respect to Elders past and present.

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