Every year in the UK undercooked poultry, often turkey, causes food poisoning. Defrosting and cooking poultry thoroughly destroys any foodborne bacteria which may be present and means that the bird is safe to eat.
For safer Christmas eating:
- only buy as much food as you have space to store. If the fridge is overfilled with perishable food, it is likely that it won’t be cold enough and you will be risking food poisoning
- try to buy a turkey that is realistic for your needs - the bigger the turkey the more difficult it is to prepare and cook safely
- store raw meat at the bottom of the fridge, preferably in a covered container where it cannot drip onto other foods.
- always keep raw meat and poultry away from ready-to-eat foods
- do not leave buffet or party food out all day - better to put out small amounts at a time and put what is left in the fridge
- if you are reheating turkey, or other leftovers, always make sure it is steaming hot all the way through before you eat it - don't reheat more than once though
- ideally, try to eat, cook or freeze your leftovers within 48 hours.
For more information on food safety during the festive season please see the Food Standards Agency website.
