Bristol, UK - Christmas Dinner Food Safety Tips

Christmas Day will soon be upon us, and most of us will have turkey on the big day. Since it was introduced from North America in the 17th century it has become the mainstay of the traditional British Christmas dinner.

Every year nearly 10 million turkeys are sold during the Christmas run-up. 87% of British people believe that Christmas wouldn’t be the same with a roast turkey. Although strangely, it is very rarely eaten at Christmas across the rest of Europe

Poultry, such as turkey, goose and chicken, can cause food poisoning if not cooked properly.

Turkey Defrosting time:

Always follow defrosting instructions on the packaging. If there aren’t any, use the times below to work out roughly how long it will take to thaw your turkey:

In a fridge at 4°C (39°F), allow around 10-12 hours per kg, but remember that not all fridges will be this temperature.

In a cool room (below 17.5°C, 64°F), allow approximately 3-4 hours per kg, or longer if the room is particularly cold.

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Avoid cross-contamination:

To prevent the spread of food poisoning germs like Campylobacter, be careful to wash everything that has touched your raw turkey (e.g. hands, utensils and work surfaces) with soap and hot water.

Don’t wash raw turkey or other poultry as germs can splash around your kitchen.

Turkey Cooking time:

Give yourself enough time to prepare and cook the Christmas dinner to avoid hot fat, boiling water and sharp knife accidents that come from rushing, and keep anyone not helping with dinner out of the kitchen. Wipe up any spills quickly

Make sure you allow time for your turkey to cook thoroughly. There should be no pink meat in the thickest parts and it should be steaming hot with juices running clear.

You can use a pop-up cooking thermometer (which is left in the turkey while it cooks). This should be placed in the thickest part of the turkey (between the breast and the thigh) from the start. You’ll know your turkey is cooked when the thermometer ‘pops’ and has reached a temperature of 70°C for more than 2 minutes.

For those of you wanting a full understanding of Food Safety, we offer a variety of Food Awareness training courses from E-learning Food Safety to the Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering. Contact us for further information here: www.acornsafety.co.uk/industry-spotlight-on-catering-christmas-dinner-food-safety-tips/