Food Safety Focus (241st Issue, August 2026) – Article 3

Bring Ice-cream and Frozen Confections Home Safely Under the Summer Heat

As temperatures rise, the proper handling and transport of ice-cream and frozen confections become important. Due to their high nutrient content and that they are consumed as-is, they can facilitate rapid bacterial growth if handled incorrectly.

To ensure safety, exposure to the temperature danger zone (4°C to 60°C) must be minimised during shopping and transportation:

• Shop Near Home: Purchase from reputable retailers close to home to reduce travel time;
• Select Last: Collect frozen confections at the end of the shopping trip;
• Insulate: Store in a chiller bag or ice box with ice packs;
• Store Immediately: Head home directly and store in a freezer upon

Keeping ice-cream frozen also preserves quality. Melting causes the air bubbles in ice-cream responsible for a soft texture to dissipate, rendering re-frozen products undesirably hard. If cannot finish in one go, portion the ice-cream using clean utensils and avoid re-freezing melted ice-cream.