Don't get food poisoned this Christmas!

With a day to go the Health Protection Agency is advising people to follow a few simple rules to help avoid food poisoning.

Most food poisoning cases can be avoided by following some simple rules when defrosting, cooking and using the leftovers of your turkey. Follow these rules and you won't get caught out by food poisoning this Christmas:

• Buy your "fresh" turkey as late as possible and store it in the fridge. Cook the turkey within two days of purchase.
• If buying a frozen turkey, put it in the home freezer as quickly as possible after purchase.
• Ensure that meat and poultry are thoroughly defrosted before cooking. A large turkey will often take much longer to defrost than people think. It can take as long as a couple of days, so it is important to be certain that it has defrosted.
• If the turkey is stuffed before cooking, allow an extra 10-15 minutes of cooking time for every pound/450G of the bird's weight.
• If food has been cooked and frozen, never freeze it again after it has been defrosted.
• Don't wash the turkey under the tap as harmful bacteria could easily splash from raw meat and poultry to worktops, chopping boards, dishes and utensils. Germs that cause food poisoning can also linger on surfaces for days.  By washing your raw turkey, you're actually more likely to spread the germs than get rid of them. Proper cooking will kill any bacteria, so it doesn't need to be washed.
• Check use-by dates on packaging and pay particular attention to perishable foods, such as vacuum packed smoked salmon or ham and dairy products.
• Store food properly, keeping raw meats, including turkey, well away from cooked meats and produce that will not require cooking, such as bread and salad vegetables. This is to avoid the risk of cross-contamination.
• Store raw meat and poultry on the bottom shelf of the fridge.
• Use separate knives and chopping boards for raw and cooked products.
• Ensure that raw poultry and meats, including sausages, are thoroughly cooked.
• Fridges should be kept below 5 Centigrade and freezers below -18 Centigrade.
• For dealing with leftovers: keep leftover turkey in a sealed container in the fridge, if it is not kept cold food poisoning bacteria can grow. Try to use leftovers within 48 hours. If re-heating leftover turkey, always ensure its piping hot all the way through before you eat it and don't re-heat turkey more than once.
• Wash hands thoroughly before handling any food, immediately after handling raw food, after going to the lavatory and before eating.