City of York Council's Food Unit is reminding Christmas cooks of the need to take extra care when catering over the festive period.

More than one in ten of people cook Christmas dinner for more than ten guests and with so much food, some is often served warm when it should be chilled; or too cool when it should be piping hot. Such 'slips' can unwittingly result in an unpleasant case of food poisoning for the family. Studies show that 20 per cent of food poisoning outbreaks are poultry related, with most cases occurring during December.

The Food Unit's top tips for a festive season free of food poisoning are:
1. Chilling:
- Don’t overstock your fridge or freezer - it makes it difficult to maintain the right temperature.
- Frozen turkeys or other poultry must always be thawed fully before cooking. A 15lb turkey will take 24-28 hours to thaw in the fridge; allow over 2 days for a 25lb bird to defrost.
- Don’t leave leftovers lying around - ensure hot food cools quickly before putting it in the fridge. To speed cooling: divide into smaller portions, place in shallow containers or stand in a tray of cold water.

2. Cooking
- Poultry, sausages and chopped/minced meat must always be thoroughly cooked - ensure there are no pink bits in the middle, that the juices run clear and that they are piping hot throughout.
- Cook your stuffing separately, if you do stuff the bird, make sure you take the stuffing weight into account when calculating your cooking time.
- Don’t use raw eggs in food that will not be cooked - such as chocolate mousse or homemade mayonnaise – use pasteurised egg instead.

3.Cleaning
- Clean your fridge and freezer before you stock up. Make more space by using up sauces and pickles (watch out for ‘best before’ dates though).
- Clean as you go when preparing and cooking foods.

4.Cross-Contamination
- Wash your hands frequently - especially before preparing or touching food, after touching raw food, coughing, sneezing or touching pets.
- Don’t rinse your turkey under the tap. This can splash harmful bacteria from the bird around the kitchen, which can contaminate other foods. Thorough cooking will kill any bacteria present.
- Use separate chopping boards and utensils with raw meat or wash them thoroughly to avoid cross-contamination between raw meat, and any cooked or ready-to-eat foods.

See www.eatwell.gov.uk for further information on healthier and safer eating, including a handy calculator for calculating the cooking time for your turkey.

For advice on this or any food related matter contact the food & Safety Unit on 01904 551525.