Don’t let food poisoning spoil your Christmas and New Year holidays

Published on 18 December 2025

Christmas and New Year are popular times to share meals with family and friends at barbecues, social gatherings and holiday celebrations. Unfortunately, food poisoning cases often increase during this period, with warmer weather and larger gatherings creating higher risks.

The Town of Cambridge encourages residents to practise safe food handling at all times and to take extra care when preparing, storing and transporting food over the holiday season. The following information outlines practical steps to help reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Why the risk increases during summer

Food can become contaminated more easily during the warmer months because:

• Bacteria multiply faster at higher temperatures
• More food is prepared at once, often in home kitchens not designed for large volumes
• Multiple people may be handling food
• Food is prepared in unfamiliar locations such as parks or other homes

Reducing your risk

Transporting food

• Take extra care with seafood. Ask for it to be packed with ice, transport it in an esky or insulated cool box, and refrigerate immediately.

• When refrigeration is not available, keep high-risk foods (raw meat, seafood, dairy and other perishables) in a portable fridge, insulated cool box or an esky with plenty of ice.

Storing food

• Avoid overloading your fridge or freezer, as this reduces their ability to cool food safely. Store low-risk items such as drinks in eskies to free up space.

• Keep food covered and store meats in the fridge at or below 5°C.

• Follow the two-hour / four-hour rule for food kept between 5°C and 60°C:

  - Less than two hours: refrigerate or use immediately
  - Between two and four hours: use immediately
  - More than four hours: throw it out

• Store cooked and ready-to-eat foods above raw foods in the fridge, and keep all foods well wrapped.

• Keep perishable foods hot (above 60°C) or cold (below 5°C), and check fridge temperatures regularly, especially in hot weather.

• Arrange food so cold air can circulate freely and defrost fridges regularly.

Handling food safely

Bacteria spread through poor handling and contact with pests. To reduce this risk:

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before handling food, after using the toilet, and between handling raw and cooked foods.
• Use tongs, forks or spoons rather than bare hands.
• Clean and sanitise benches, utensils and cutting boards.
• Use separate cutting boards and knives for raw meat, seafood, vegetables and cooked foods.
• Wash fruit and vegetables, particularly if eaten raw.
• Use safe, treated water for food preparation and cleaning.
• Use paper towels where possible, as dishcloths can harbour bacteria.
• Keep food and preparation areas protected from insects, pets and other pests.

Disposal of unsafe food

Power outages can cause food to spoil quickly. If cold storage below 4°C is not available within two hours:

• Food in a refrigerator is generally safe for up to two hours without power. If more than four hours have passed, discard it.
• A full freezer can keep food frozen for up to 48 hours if the door remains closed, while a half-full freezer may keep food frozen for up to 24 hours. If the food has thawed, dispose of it.
• Potentially hazardous foods should be eaten immediately, moved to alternative cold storage or disposed of.

For large quantities of spoiled food, such as from restaurants or cafés, contact the Town’s Environmental Health Services to ensure safe disposal and reduce the risk of pests and disease.

If in doubt, throw it out!

The Town of Cambridge wishes all residents a safe and enjoyable Christmas and New Year holiday period.