Food tips for a healthy and happy Christmas

Published on 22 December 2015

It’s that time of year where people get together for their festive feasts, but the last thing you want is your Christmas spirit dampened by food poisoning.

Chair of Council’s Health and Compliance Committee Councillor Ellen Smith said there were a number of simple tips which ensured you and your festive foods were safe during Christmas.

“Our hot weather provides a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, particularly if your fridge is overflowing or you’ve left food out for an extended period of time,” Cr Smith said.

“It’s important to arrange your fridge properly and ensure you have enough room for the cool air to circulate, otherwise it can affect the overall temperature and quality of the food.”

Cr Smith said one tip for food safety was to keep it out of the temperature ‘danger zone” of between 5°C and 60°C.

“Make sure food is either refrigerated at below 5°C or kept hot above 60°C and after you’ve defrosted your food ensure it is cooked all the way through,” Cr Smith said.

“If you find you are struggling to find room in your fridge, try taking out non-perishable foods such as soft drinks or alcoholic drinks and keep them in an esky with ice.

“One of the best things about Christmas feasts is leftovers, but it’s important to refrigerate leftovers straight after the meal and eat them within two or three days.

“Luckily your Christmas ham will keep a bit longer, usually for several weeks, but to keep it at its best, remove it from plastic, wrap it in a cloth that has been soaked with water and vinegar and store it under 5 degrees.”

Did you know?

A recent Food Safety Information Council survey found 68% of people wash their turkey before cooking it. This action may be contaminating your kitchen as washing poultry can spread food poisoning bacteria around your kitchen, in your sink area and on other utensils. The best way to kill food poisoning bacteria is to cook poultry so the internal temperature is 75°C.

Other food safety tips for Christmas

• Ask your fishmonger to pack your seafood with ice, transport it home in a cooler and then promptly place in the coldest part of your fridge.
• Defrost all meat in the refrigerator and prepare foods as close as possible to eating time.
• If you cook large amounts of food in advance, divide it into smaller portions or put it in shallow containers, cover and place in the refrigerator or freezer, ensuring that there is good air circulation around the containers.
• Ensure hot foods have cooled slightly, until no longer steaming hot,  before placing in the refrigerator to maintain food and fridge temperature.
• Ensure you maintain good hygiene at all times when handling food including regular hand washing after handing raw meat or other potentially hazardous foods.
• Use different cutting boards and utensils for potentially hazardous foods and other foods to prevent cross-contamination.

Take the following Christmas and holiday entering food safety quiz to see how safely you handle food at Christmas.

http://foodsafetyinfo.polldaddy.com/s/christmas-holiday-entertaining-quiz

Click here for more food safety tips.