Skip to main content
N I Direct government services

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
  • Contacts
  • Help
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Health and wellbeing
  3. Living well
  4. Healthy lives
  5. Food safety and hygiene

Food safety advice

To avoid getting ill from the food you eat at home, or when cooking for family and friends, it is important to follow the food safety advice to stop the spread of germs. Find out more on how to store, prepare and cook food safely.

The Food Standards Agency

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland is an independent government food safety watchdog working to protect public health and consumers’ wider interests in food.

It is dedicated to making sure that food is safe, food is what it says it is, and food is healthier and more sustainable and offers you advice on food safety and nutrition.

Preventing the spread of germs

Bacterial cross-contamination is most likely to happen when raw food touches or drips onto ready-to-eat food, utensils or surfaces. 

You can avoid it by:

  • preparing food hygienically
  • storing food effectively
  • using shopping bags safely

Find out more at:

  • Avoiding cross-contamination

Keeping your kitchen clean, including worktops and chopping boards, is essential to keep food safe as bacteria can grow and spread.

For advice on cleaning your kitchen and what foods you should and should not wash, visit:

  • Cleaning 

Food poisoning

Food poisoning is caused by eating something that has been contaminated by germs. This can happen if food:

  • is not cooked or reheated thoroughly
  • is not stored correctly – for example, it has not been frozen or chilled
  • is left out for too long
  • is handled by someone who is ill or has not washed their hands
  • is eaten after its 'use by' date

There are several bacteria and viruses that can cause food poisoning. These include:

  • E. coli
  • Listeria
  • Salmonella 

If you contract food poisoning from a food business, you can report the restaurant, food shop or food ordered online  to the local authority where the business is located.

The local authority's food safety team will investigate the issue and take any action needed.

Cooking food properly

Cooking food properly will help make sure that any harmful bacteria are killed. Eating food that isn't properly cooked could give you food poisoning.

Further information on cooking meat and frozen vegetables is available at:

  • Cooking your food
  • Preparing poultry 

Find out how to chill, freeze and defrost food safely at:

  • Chilling

Barbecues and picnics

When the weather is good, many people enjoy eating outdoors. However, the warmer weather increases the risks of bacteria spreading.

Tips on how to stay food safe when cooking food at a BBQ or having a picnic are available at the links below:

  • BBQ food safety
  • Keeping food safe on a picnic

Christmas food hygiene

One gift you don’t want to give to family and friends over the festive season is food poisoning. If you follow the safe preparation and cooking advice, your Christmas meal should be one to remember – for all the right reasons.

For advice on food shopping, preparing and cooking your turkey and reusing leftovers safely, visit:

  • Preparing poultry 
  • Christmas food hygiene

Storing food safely

Depending on the type of food, you'll need to store it in the fridge, freezer or in containers you keep in cupboards or on shelves. When storing food, it's important to keep food safe so that's it still safe to eat or cook.

How long you store food for is also important so it is helpful to understand the difference between 'best before' and 'use by' dates on the food you buy.

Potatoes

Acrylamide is a chemical substance formed when starchy foods, such as potatoes and bread, are cooked at high temperatures (above 120°C).

Information on how to reduce acrylamide at home, including advice on cooking and storing potatoes, is available at:

  • Acrylamide

Shopping and food safety

Food hygiene standards are important when buying packaged or unpackaged food in shops and supermarkets or when ordering food online.

Find out how to shop safely and your rights when buying food online at:

  • Shopping and food safety 

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme rates food hygiene standards in businesses where people eat or buy food. The rating scheme applies to cafes, restaurants, supermarkets, delis and other food shops in Northern Ireland.

By law, food businesses must display their rating sticker.

Find out how to report a food problem in a restaurant, a food shop or with food ordered online at:

  • How to report a food safety or hygiene issue

Food allergy and intolerance

If you, or someone you are cooking for has a food allergy or intolerance, it is important you have the information you need to make safe choices.

The Food Standards Agency has a food alerts service so that you can make safe food choices.

You can sign up to allergy alerts  to receive a free email or text message each time a recall specific to your food allergy is issued. This will include information about what to do if you have bought the product that is being recalled.

Share this page Share on Facebook (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share on Twitter (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share by email (external link opens in a new window / tab)

Food safety and hygiene

  • Food safety advice
  • Hand washing and hand hygiene
  • Preparing poultry
  • Shopping and food safety

Translation help

How to translate this page

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What do you want to do?
Report a problem
Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

Messages

You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

What is your question about?

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

  • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
  • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
  • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

Related sites

  • gov.uk
  • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

Links to supporting information

  • Accessibility statement
  • Crown copyright
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS