Food Standards Agency is reminding people to follow some simple safety steps this Christmas when preparing their turkeys, to help keep the festive period free from the misery of food poisoning.
Many people aren’t used to cooking such large meal, so remembering and sticking to the basic rules should mean food poisoning is one less thing to worry about over Christmas.
· If you buy a frozen turkey make sure it’s completely thawed before you cook and use a fork to test the thickest parts of the meat. A larger turkey can take up to two days to defrost entirely.
· Don’t wash your turkey before cooking. Washing is more likely to splash food bugs on to worktops, dishes and other foods. Proper cooking will kill bugs.
· Plan your cooking time properly. Follow the cooking times and other instructions on the labels. All turkeys should be cooked at 180ºC, 350ºF, Gas Mark 4 (after the oven has preheated)
· Check the turkey is cooked properly by cutting into the thickest part of the meat. None of the meat should still be pink and any juices that run out should be clear. Finally, the meat should be steaming hot all the way through.
If you would like to book any spaces on our food awareness / safaety courses, please click here.
Prefer to talk about your training and consultancy needs?