10-05-2025
Wetin to do and and di ones you no fit do wen you dey warm food
To dey warm food fit carry unseen health risks. Following dis guidelines go help keep your food safe and reduce di risk of foodborne illnesses.
Here na how to stay safe:
Wetin you no fit do
No leave food out for too long
No leave food out for longer dan two to four hours at room temperature. Dis fit reduce to one hour for rice, as bacillus cereus spores dey multiply quickly.
No warm takeaway rice
Takeaway rice often dey pre-cooked and reheated by food businesses bifor dem sell am, wey dey make am risky to warm yet again. E dey best to eat am shortly after purchase or delivery.
No keep home-cooked food for fridge for too long
Consume leftovers within 24-48 hours or freeze dem if you no plan to eat dem soon.
No defrost chicken wit warm water
Dis fit lead to uneven thawing, wia parts of di meat enter di 'danger zone' bifor e go dey fully defrosted. Always defrost chicken for fridge and cook am thoroughly. Campylobacter bacteria in poultry fit lead to serious stomach issues, vomiting, and even hospitalisation.
Wetin you suppose do
Always store food for fridge bifor you warm am.
Research show say keeping food refrigerated (at 5°C or below) dey limit di growth of harmful pathogens.
Cool your food bifor you put am inside fridge
Putting hot food straight inside fridge fit push your fridge temperature up, compromising oda foods and allowing bacteria to grow. Ideally, make your food cool at room temperature and refrigerate am as soon as e don cool down. In warmer climates, di less time food spend outside, di safer e dey be.
Understand di 'danger zone'
Between 8°C and 63°C, bacteria fit multiply rapidly. To dey keep your fridge below 5°C dey help to prevent food poisoning, while freezing food at -18°C fit pause bacterial activity. However, bacteria no dey die during freezing - dem fit revive once di food defrost.
Put cooled food inside di freezer to defrost later
You fit freeze food up until di last recommended date for consumption, including products like bread, wey dey defrost well and last longer in di freezer.
Defrost frozen food fully bifor you warm am
Defrost food for fridge for up to 24 hours, depending on di item. Larger items like a whole chicken go take longer, while smaller portions dey defrost faster. You fit defrost some foods for microwave, but e dey best to follow manufacturer instructions. To dey defrost for fridge go ensure say di food go stay out of di 'danger zone.'
Make sure food dey fully thawed bifor cooking
Partially defrosted food fit cook unevenly, wey go allow harmful bacteria to survive.
Warm and consume any leftover rice within 24 hours
Rice fit contain bacillus cereus spores wey dey survive cooking. Cooling and refrigerating rice promptly dey reduce di risk, but to warm am na somtin wey you suppose do just once. Freezing cooked rice fit pause spore growth.
Dey extra careful wen you dey warm food for vulnerable pipo
Pipo with weak immune systems, underlying conditions, pregnant women, young pikin dem, and older adults dey at higher risk of foodborne illnesses.
Warm food until e dey steaming hot throughout
If you dey defrost food for microwave, stir am halfway through to ensure even heating.
