On the bhaji thread it wandered in to a discussion on re-heating food, with people saying that they wouldn't re-heat meat. I did a bit of digging and found the health and hygiene rules.

To serve in a pub or restaurant a meal has to be raised to a temperature of 75c, as proven with a calibrated probe (thermometer) entered into the thickest part of the meat. That is true for England, in Scotland for some reason it must be 83c. At this point all potentially harmful bacteria are dead. (Source: my local food pub chefess).

For keeping food warm (think buffet or carvery) the rule is that that temperature must be maintained until consumption.

So no more all you can eat buffets for me. I don't think weedy meths lamps under a pot of Chicken Bhuna are likely to be up to the job.

Mike

Further to my initial post, the chef that told me about the temperatures in the first place called me back to ask why I had asked in the first place. When I told her she said "The meat is the least of your worries, sauces and especially rice are the biggest causes of food poisoning in my trade".

Kitchen probe thermometer and 75c it is from now on for me.

Mike

Mike

I think it is possible to go over board, of course if you are that unsure then the thermometer is the best way forward for you.

As you long as you ensure that any food you intend to freeze isn't sitting about after its cooked and then sealed and frozen properly, you will minimise any bacteria build up. When you come to re-heat it, just make sure its hot all the way through.

I buy cheap take-away style foil trays with the card tops. I fill one of these up and seal the lid on. Once cool enough I freeze it. Upon reheating, I simply take it from the freezer and pop it in the oven. The oven is then turned on to heat at 150c and the timer set for an hour. I have never had any problems doing this and the food is always piping hot all the way through. No need to thaw it either.

Treat cooked rice as though it was milk/dairy product, that is cool, cover and refrigerate, use within 24 hours and you should be ok.

The problem with reheating that people just bung stuff in the microwave and don't heat things through properly, just laziness really.

The bacteria in rice is Bacillus cereus and causes "mild illness with rapid onset of vomiting, with or without diarrhea and abdominal cramping" apparently and is also present in potatoes and pasta and other starchy foodstuffs.

Loads of info HERE

Regards
CoR   

Axe

Your way is my way, 150 oven for longer than you might think. Leaving the meat out and adding it later as some advocated on the bhaji thread will surely lose the marinading process that would enhance the final flavour. Heated properly, next day curries are ALWAYS better.

My real issue would be dodgy buffets.

Mike

I try to steer clear of anything that I know hasn't been just cooked.

I often get bombarded at home by the wife who is regularly being put on courses at work for hygiene related things (she's a care home worker). I often reply that common sense is often much better than being told to stir rice through to ensure it's piping hot all the way through.