December 13, 2024

expert commentary about food safety at Christmas

Irish scientists comment on food safety at Christmas. 

Prof Colin Hill, APC Microbiome Ireland and School of Microbiology, University College Cork, said:

“The vast majority of people will enjoy Christmas without getting food poisoning, and so the most important thing is to enjoy the festive season to avoid paranoia about your food. Nearly all of the food you will consume is perfectly safe but the best way to ensure that is to be very aware of temperature and time. If a recently cooked food is to be kept for longer than a couple of hours before eating it should be chilled and then re-heated thoroughly. In one line; keep hot foods hot, keep cold foods cold and wash your hands and food surfaces regularly.”

Dr Miryam Amigo-Benavent, Assistant Professor of Food Science, University of Limerick, said:

Christmas carols on the radio and shops full of ham, turkey, lamb, aperitifs, trimmings and mouth-watering desserts. This is one of the most exciting times of the year, which brings together family and friends around the dinner table.

Please do not ruin these positive and memorable moments by not following some advice:

• Drink responsibly and, of course, do not drive if you drink.
• Eat responsibly too. Too much food can cause digestive discomfort. Moderation is best, especially if food is higher in salt, fat and sugars than the usual healthy diet.
• Follow food-safety protocols to avoid potentially getting sick with food poisoning, and remember the advice provided by the SafeFood website

• Keep the food stored at the right temperature (fridge between 0 to – 5°C, frozen between – 18 and – 20 °C).
• Wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling raw food (meat, poultry, fish).
• Prepare raw and ready-to-eat food separately. Use separate utensils for raw or partially-cooked and cooked food.
• If you are using frozen meat/turkey, make sure it is completely defrosted before roasting. The safest and most recommended way is to place it on a tray on the bottom shelf of your fridge.
• Do not wash raw poultry (including turkey or chicken) as it can spread food poisoning bacteria.
• Prevent cross-contamination (transfer of harmful bacteria from raw food to ready-to-eat food). See this video.
• Be sure that the food is properly cooked following the producer’s instructions in relation to weight/cooking temperature and time. Check that there is no pink meat, the juices run clear, and the meat is piping hot or that the core temperature has reached 75 °C using a meat thermometer.
• Be aware of people’s food allergies/food intolerances.

• If possible, fight against sedentarism, and try to go for a walk with family or friends after the big meal if the weather allows. This will help digestion and will decrease your blood glucose levels.

Apart from safe cooking, keep in mind Goal 12 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which calls for responsible consumption and production. Cooked leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours, and they should be eaten within three days. If you prefer to try leftovers in a different way, most of our well-known chefs have great ideas of how to use leftover ham and turkey, for example, turkey, ham and leek pie, turkey sandwiches, ham rolls, soups and curries.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”