Tips for a food poisoning-free Christmas
More than one in ten people cook Christmas dinner for more than ten people. Catering safely for large numbers can be a challenge in a domestic kitchen - fridges and ovens never seem big enough.
With so much food, some is often served warm when it should be chilled, or too cool when it should be piping hot. Such actions can result in an unpleasant case of food poisoning for you or your family.
Below are some food safety tips to help ensure Christmas is food poisoning free.
1. Don't overstock your fridge or freezer
If your appliances are overstocked it makes it difficult to maintain the right temperature.
Food should be stored separately in covered containers and properly wrapped. Always store cooked food and ready to eat food above raw food like fish, poultry and meat.
2. Wash your hands frequently
Wash your hands especially before preparing or touching food, and after touching raw food, coughing, sneezing or touching pets.
3. Frozen turkeys or other poultry must always be thawed thoroughly and fully before cooking
A 5lb turkey will take 24-48 hours to thaw in the fridge; allow over 2 days for a 25lb bird to defrost.
4. There is no need to wash your turkey
Washing a turkey or any other poultry can splash harmful bacteria already on the bird around the kitchen leading to the cross contamination of other foods. Cooking will kill any bacteria present.
5. Use separate chopping boards and utensils between raw meat and and any cooked or ready-to-eat-foods
Alternatively ensure that you wash them thoroughly to avoid cross contamination
6. Ideally, cook your stuffing separately
If you feel that you must stuff the bird, make sure you take the stuffing weight into account when calculating the cooking time
7. Poultry, sausages and chopped and minced meat must always be thoroughly cooked
Check to make sure that there are no pink bits in the middles, that the juices run clear and that they are piping hot throughout
8. Always serve hot food piping hot and as soon as it is ready
If there is a delay between heating and eating then keep the food covered and at no less than 63 degrees centigrade.
9. Don't leave leftovers lying around
Make sure that hot food cools quickly before putting it in the fridge. To speed cooling divide the food into smaller portions, place in shallow containers or stand in a tray of cold water
10. Avoid re-heating food more than once
If you reheat leftovers make sure they are piping hot throughout and don't keep leftovers for more than 2 days
Why not test your Christmas food safety knowledge by completing an online quiz?
An information leaflet 'Keeping your Christmas Food Safe' is available in a PDF format.
