To mark the start of the Festive season the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture is reminding people in the Island about the importance of good food hygiene in the home.
This is particularly important at this time of year as catering safely for an extended family can be a challenge as it is not something we do on a regular basis.
With so much food to prepare some food is served warm when it should be chilled or too cool when it should be piping hot.
Such actions can unwittingly result in an unpleasant case of food poisoning for you and your family, and a Festive season which could be far from merry.
Poor food hygiene could leave people suffering from food poisoning with unpleasant symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps.
Good hygiene in the kitchen is not difficult but it is very easy to forget the simple things when there is so much going on at this time of year.
For many people, they may be cooking the largest bird or piece of meat since last Christmas and therefore are not sure how to properly defrost or cook it.
Just by following a few simple rules people can dramatically reduce their chances of food poisoning:
• always wash hands before and after handling turkey, or any other raw meat
• always leave frozen poultry or meat to thoroughly defrost in a fridge or cool place
• always ensure the meat is cooked right through and follow cooking instructions carefully
• there should be no pinkness where the meat is thickest
• make sure juices which run out when the thigh is pierced are clear
• always cool left-overs quickly before refrigerating and only reheat them once; and finally
It is better to cook stuffing separately. Placing stuffing inside the bird can lead to the centre of the bird or the stuffing itself not being properly cooked.
Ivan Bratty, Food Safety Manager for the Department said:
“Food poisoning is a miserable experience and so easily avoided. Just following simple steps in the kitchen can mean you don’t become another food poisoning casualty.”
