It is the muted but crucial question that often surfaces in kitchens at this time of year: How do you avoid giving the unwanted gift of food poisoning to your guests during the festive period?

With bacteria able to spread easily from raw meat and poultry to worktops, chopping boards, dishes and utensils, Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers offer a few key tips on steering clear of the bugs and bacteria that could ruin your Christmas…

• After touching raw poultry or other raw meat, always wash your hands and dry them thoroughly
• Don’t wash the turkey before cooking it; bacteria from raw poultry can splash onto worktops and dishes
• Always clean worktops, chopping boards, dishes and utensils with warm soapy water after they have touched raw poultry or meat
• Never use the same chopping board for raw poultry or meat and ready-to-eat food without washing it first

Plan cooking time in advance to ensure the bird is in the oven early enough to cook it thoroughly. A large bird can take several hours to cook properly, and eating under-cooked turkey (or other poultry) could cause food poisoning. Where available, follow cooking instructions on the pack.

Three ways you can tell a turkey is cooked:

• The meat is steaming hot all the way through
• There’s no pink meat when you cut into the thickest part of the bird
• The juices run clear when pierced the turkey or press the thigh

If using a temperature probe or food thermometer, ensure the thickest part of the bird (between the breast and the thigh) reaches at least 70 deg.C for a full two minutes.

Visit www.food.gov.uk for more information.

www.brucestevenson.co.uk.

Source: Food Standards Agency