Be cool about defrosting meat

This is the fifth instalment of a regular column from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on food facts and fiction.
Fiction: When I'm in a hurry, there's no problem with leaving meat out on the bench to defrost.
Fact: Speeding up the process of defrosting meat by leaving it at room temperature will also give foodborne "bugs" the opportunity to speed up their growth rate. As the outside of the meat defrosts, any bacteria that might be present - such as campylobacter and salmonella - can start to multiply rapidly while the centre is still thawing.
In contrast, defrosting meat in a fridge that is running at the recommended range of 2-4C° will ensure it is warm enough for meat to defrost, but cool enough to stop most bugs from multiplying to dangerous levels.
Ensuring your meat has defrosted completely will help ensure it cooks evenly.
If you're pushed for time, you can use the microwave to defrost. While this has the benefit of being fast, it does have the downside of warming food unevenly.
To help avoid hot spots - where some meat starts to cook while other parts are still frozen solid - you can heat it in bursts and turn or mix it to ensure even heating. Because some bits may have already begun to cook, it is recommended you cook meat immediately after microwave defrosting.
Meat that has been defrosted in your fridge, on the other hand, doesn't have to be used straight away. Providing your fridge is running at 2-4°C, you can keep defrosted mince, sausages, smallgoods, poultry and seafood for 1-2 days, and whole meat cuts for 3-5 days.
Raw meat and poultry are best stored in a covered container at the bottom of the fridge away from ready-to-eat food, fruit and vegetables. This will prevent meat juices from spreading bacteria onto other foods.