The inspector has gone home. The bacteria haven’t.
Divide big batches into shallow portions. Cool and refrigerate perishable leftovers within two hours; rice ideally within one hour. Don’t leave the whole pot out overnight.
Write the food name and cooked/opened date and time. Plan to eat general leftovers within 48 hours or freeze promptly; cooked rice within 24 hours.
Use a thermometer: 0–5°C for the fridge. Homemade garlic-in-oil needs 4°C or below and a maximum of four days, or freeze it.
Keep raw meat and fish covered in leakproof containers on the bottom shelf, below ready-to-eat food.
Clean equipment after raw-food preparation and sanitise or disinfect appropriately. Include taps, handles and any touched surfaces.
Replace or appropriately launder used cloths. Don’t carry raw-meat contamination to other surfaces. Wash hands with soap and water.
Store away from food, in labelled original containers. Follow food-contact suitability, dilution, contact time and rinsing instructions. Never mix cleaning products.
Use or freeze food in time. Reheat leftovers only once until steaming hot throughout. If storage history is uncertain, a sniff or taste is not a safety check.