Food safety at Christmas | Latest news

Who wants food poisoning at Christmas? It’s not the gift any of us wish for!

There are an estimated 2.4 million cases of food poisoning in the UK each year. Whether cooking at home, or reusing leftovers, it’s important to maintain good food hygiene at Christmas by following the 4Cs: 

• cleaning
• chilling
• cooking
• avoiding cross-contamination

Check your fridge is set at 5°C or below. Test this with a fridge thermometer. If your food is stored at the correct temperature, it will be safe to eat right up to and including the use-by date. For the use-by date to be a valid guide, you must carefully follow storage instructions. 

Ideally, keep raw meat and fish covered on the bottom shelf of your fridge to avoid cross-contamination or spillages. 

For information on defrosting and cooking the turkey, freezing, and reusing leftovers, click here: Christmas food hygiene | Food Standards Agency

To avoid food waste, compost your vegetable peelings and create something delicious from your leftovers. For recipe ideas visit: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/christmas-leftovers-recipes

If you, your family or friends do happen to fall ill, check out what you can do here:

Food poisoning - NHS (www.nhs.uk)