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There are more than 500,000 cases of food poisoning in the UK each year with Campylobacter being considered as responsible for more than half of those, in turn leading to more than 100 deaths a year.

 

Roughly four in five cases of Campylobacter poisoning in the UK come from contaminated poultry but it can also be found in red meat, unpasteurised milk and untreated water. Although it does not normally grow in food, it spreads easily and has a low infective dose so only a few bacteria in a piece of under-cooked chicken, or bacteria transferred from raw chicken onto other ready-to-eat foods, can cause illness.

EU and UK regulations state that all food handlers must receive appropriate training in food safety practices relevant to their duties. However, having a good understanding of food safety practices is not only a legal requirement, it is also essential in protecting the health of both consumers and food handlers.

We offer various Food Safety courses including the basic Food Safety Awareness course which is aimed at anyone who requires induction training before starting to work with food, staff who are low-risk food handlers, and those who wish to update their food safety knowledge. We also offer 4 E-Learning courses:  Food Safety Awareness at Levels 1 & 2, Introduction to HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) Level 2 and Allergen Awareness. For those of you wanting a full understanding of Food Safety, we also offer the Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering.

Our Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering (QCF) course is accredited by Qualsafe Awards, one of the largest Ofqual recognised Awarding Organisations in the UK, and is aimed at those working, or planning to work, in the food and catering industry. Over this one day course, through a variety of training methods, participants will gain a strong understanding of the importance of food safety, including correct food handling practices and measures to reduce the risk of contamination.

Food Safety also applies to households, not just businesses. You want those who have enjoyed your hospitality to go home with memories of a good time, not a tummy bug to remember you by. You MUST ensure that food is stored and cooked safely.

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. The following information provides advice on reducing the chance of food poisoning over the festive period:

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.

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.

Leftovers:

  • Sandwiches, Soups/stews or salads are the most popular choices for Christmas dinner leftovers
  • If you do have any leftovers, you should cool them, then cover and ensure that they go in the fridge or freezer within 1-2 hours. If you have a lot of one type of food, splitting it into smaller portions will help it to cool quickly and means you can freeze and defrost only what you need for future dishes.
  • You can freeze turkey, other meat and meals cooked from previously cooked and frozen meat. But once defrosted, the pause button is off and you should eat the food within 24 hours.
  • You can make your leftovers into new meals and then freeze them. If you’re running low on ideas for meals, check out these tasty Christmas leftovers recipes
  • If you make a new meal such as curry or casserole from the leftovers, then you can also freeze this, even if you are using turkey that was originally frozen.
  • Make sure that when you come to use frozen leftovers, you defrost them thoroughly in the fridge overnight or in a microwave (on the defrost setting) and then reheat until steaming hot.
  • If you have leftover wine you can pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze it for use at a later date in sauces, gravy or (if it’s white) even as an alcoholic ice cube to chill your wine.
  • Don’t waste any fresh herbs that are leftover, you can puree and freeze them in an ice cube tray to add to dishes as and when you need them.
  • Don’t forget: leftovers should be eaten or frozen within 2 days (one day for rice dishes).

You don’t have to take our word for how well we deliver Food Safety courses, take a look at our testimonials page where you will find great reviews, such as:

“Very interesting. Realising I do things not quite correctly. 10/10”04
MC, IntY Cascade, 09/02/2018

“Very good course, informative and very interesting. 10/10”
RP, Haven Lodge, 28/03/2018

“The training was very informative and I have learned some new values when it comes to working with food”
KT, TLT Solicitors, 18/05/2018

“The trainer had great knowledge and had great experience in different venues/roles to tell us about. 10/10”
EM, Racks Bar and Kitchen, 06/08/2018

To book our Food Safety courses visit our open courses page on our website or contact us to discuss your specific needs in more detail.

Whatever your training needs, give us a call today 0117 958 2070 or e-mail us