Many Australians, perhaps without realizing the potential consequences, have been putting themselves at risk of food poisoning by defrosting meat on their kitchen counters.

Raw meats, such as red meat and poultry, are often hosts to harmful bacteria like salmonella, listeria, campylobacter, and E. coli, all of which are notorious for causing foodborne illnesses.

While the act of cooking meat generally eliminates these bacteria, the effectiveness of this process can be compromised if the meat has been improperly thawed.

Among the common thawing mistakes, leaving frozen meat out on a kitchen bench to defrost at room temperature stands out as particularly risky.

This method is problematic because bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli multiply rapidly when exposed to the ‘temperature danger zone’—a range between five and 60 degrees Celsius.

Some microorganisms may even produce heat-resistant spores in the ‘temperature danger zone’.

These can’t be destroyed through cooking and can cause serious illness if ingested.

It’s also dangerous to thaw frozen raw meat in warm water, though many Australians have used this method without knowing the risks.

Like thawing at room temperature, thawing in warm water exposes red meat and poultry to ‘temperature danger zone’ and should be avoided.

The only safe ways to thaw frozen raw meat are in the fridge, cold water, or the microwave, according to the NSW Food Authority.

Thawing in the fridge is the most time consuming method, as it can take several days for a whole chicken to fully thaw.

However, it is safe and allows thawed meat to be stored for up to one extra day before it needs to be cooked.

If thawing in cold water, make sure the meat is in airtight packaging or a leak proof bag before submerging it.

This method typically takes a few hours to thaw a whole chicken, however it is more labour intensive.

That’s because the water needs to be changed every 30 minutes to ensure it stays cold.

Australians can also thaw meat in the microwave but only if they plan to cook it immediately after thawing.

This is because some areas may start to cook while being microwaved and it is unsafe to store partially cooked red meat or poultry.