Food safety experts issue warning to anyone cooking turkey for Christmas dinner
by Catherine Addison-Swan · ChronicleLiveAnyone cooking a turkey for Christmas dinner this year has been urged to make sure they prepare and cook it proprerly to "avoid the unwanted gift of food poisoning".
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued helpful advice as the festive period approaches to help households stay safe, providing guidelines on the whole process from defrosting your turkey to reusing leftovers. There are around 2.4 million cases of food poisoning each year, the agency warned, and the last thing anyone wants is for a simple mistake during the stress of festive cooking to ruin yours and your family's Christmas.
Whether you already have your turkey ready in the freezer or are planning to pick one up on Christmas week, there's a series of important steps to follow that even the more seasoned festive feast hosts may not be aware of. From the exact amount of time your turkey needs to defrost, to where to cut in order to make sure it's cooked, here's all the advice you need to know from experts at the FSA.
Defrosting your turkey
"If your turkey is frozen, check the guidance on the packaging in advance for how long it will take to defrost. Some turkeys can be cooked from frozen if the manufacturer’s instructions say so. However, most frozen turkeys will need to be defrosted," the FSA advised.
Be sure to examine your frozen turkey to plan well ahead of Christmas Day, as a whole turkey can take between three and five days to properly defrost. If your turkey doesn't come with instructions on how to defrost, you can follow the FSA's guidance, which is to defrost it in the fridge rather than at room temperature, allowing around 10-12 hours in the fridge per kg.
"If your turkey is not fully defrosted before cooking, it may cook unevenly. This means harmful bacteria can survive the cooking process and you and your guests will be at risk of food poisoning," the agency warned.
Cooking your turkey
"When cooking your turkey, always check the advice on the packaging and follow the instructions provided. The cooking guidelines will be based on a bird that is not stuffed," the FSA said.
Do not wash your raw turkey before cooking, as this spreads germs onto your hands, clothes, utensils, and worktops. It's also important to wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap after touching raw meat, and clean all work surfaces, chopping boards and utensils it has been in contact with.
If you have stuffing with your turkey, the FSA recommends cooking this in a separate roasting tin rather than inside the turkey. A stuffed turkey will take longer to cook and may not cook thoroughly if it has not reached the correct temperature throughout.
To work out the cooking time for your turkey, check the instructions on the packaging. If there are no cooking instructions, in an oven preheated to 180C (160C fan, 350F or Gas Mark 4), the FSA advises:
- Allow 45 minutes per kg plus 20 minutes for a turkey that weighs under 4.5kg
- Allow 40 minutes per kg for a turkey that weighs between 4.5kg and 6.5kg
- Allow 35 minutes per kg for a turkey that weighs over 6.5kg
Make sure your turkey, or any other bird you're preparing for Christmas, is steaming hot and cooked all the way through. If you do not have a meat thermometer or temperature probe, cut into the thickest part of the meat - in a whole bird this will be the area between the leg and the breast - check that none of the meat is pink and that any juices run clear.
If you do have a temperature probe, check the thickest part of the meat; it needs to reach one of the following combinations to make sure it has been cooked properly:
- 60°C for 45 minutes
- 65°C for 10 minutes
- 70°C for 2 minutes
- 75°C for 30 seconds
- 80°C for 6 seconds
Turkey leftovers
"There are many different ways you can reuse and reinvent your Christmas leftovers and make your food go further," the FSA advises. Most food can be frozen, including raw and cooked meats, fruit, potatoes (after boiling for five minutes), grated cheese and eggs.
The agency explained: "You can freeze cooked turkey, other cooked meat and meals made from previously cooked and frozen meat. It will be safe to eat for a long time, but you may see a deterioration in quality after three to six months."
If you're planning to keep some of your turkey or other Christmas dinner staples as leftovers, cool any cooked food quickly at room temperature and refrigerate or freeze within one to two hours. When it comes time to defrost, do this slowly and safely in the fridge or in a microwave on the defrost setting, not at room temperature.
Once the food is defrosted, eat it within 24 hours and do not refreeze. Make sure you reheat any defrosted food until it's steaming hot.
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