Avoid the unwanted gift of food poisoning this Christmas

Cheshire West and Chester Council is supporting the Food Standard Agency’s Christmas food safety campaign to help residents avoid food poisoning over the Christmas holidays.

The Christmas period means cooking food we don’t usually prepare such as whole turkeys, or large joints of meat. This unfamiliarity can lead to poor hygiene practices such as undercooked meat, overfilled fridges, and risk of cross-contamination. You may also be catering for guests with different dietary requirements, such as allergies.

To save your loved ones from a nasty bout of food poisoning over the holidays, follow these tips to keep your festive season truly the most wonderful time of the year.

Top tips from the Food Standards Agency:

• When Christmas food shopping, take sufficient bags with you so that you can separate out raw and ready-to-eat foods to avoid cross-contamination.
   
• Fridge groaning ahead of the big day? Save space by taking out items that don’t need to be chilled, such as unopened soft drinks or bread. This will make room for items that do need to be chilled for safety reasons, such as raw, ready-to-eat and cooked food.
   
• Keeping your fridge at the right temperature (below 5°C) is vital for food safety and means food is safe to eat right up to and including the use-by date. If your fridge is looking full, take out any items that don’t need to be chilled.
   
• Don't place hot or warm food in your fridge. Instead, cool cooked food at room temperature and place in the fridge within one to two hours.

• If your turkey is frozen, check the guidance on the packaging in advance for how long it will take to defrost.A whole turkey can take between three and five days to properly defrost (thawed all the way to the middle). Allow around 10 to 12 hours per kilogram.
   
• Do not defrost your turkey at room temperature, instead, you should defrost your turkey in the fridge (on the bottom shelf). Defrost your turkey in a container big enough to catch any drips to avoid cross-contamination.

• Whether you cooked your turkey from frozen or fresh, your turkey leftovers can be used to make a new meal (such as a turkey curry). This new meal can then be frozen, but make sure you only reheat it once.
   
• If you are preparing food for someone who has a food allergy or intolerance, plan ahead and ask your guest what they can and can’t eat.Make sure you keep allergens separate from other foods and check the ingredients list on prepacked foods for allergens. Clean work surfaces and equipment thoroughly to remove traces of food you may have cooked or prepared before.

The Council’s Cabinet Member for Homes, Planning and Safer Communities, Councillor Christine Warner said:

“Cooking a Christmas roast for a large gathering can be a challenge, and it is vital that the turkey, or other meat of the meal, is stored, defrosted and cooked correctly. Likewise, leftovers from Christmas need to be reheated and consumed within specific timeframes in order to avoid food poisoning.

“This is why the Council is supporting the Food Standards Agency in helping you to relieve some of the stress of preparing your Christmas meal and to keep your family safe during the festive period.

“In the flurry of preparing the Christmas meal, it’s important to remember to plan ahead and allow plenty of time. Remember that an average-sized turkey can take three to five days to fully thaw in the fridge, and it is vital to thoroughly cook a turkey so that the meat is steaming hot, there is no pink meat visible, and that the meat juices run clear.”

For more information visit: 

Christmas food hygiene | Food Standards Agency