For residents planning to eat festive meals at home, City of York Council’s food hygiene experts are serving up a feast of tips.
While 43 per cent of people feel that buying presents is by far the biggest worry at Christmas, cooking Christmas dinner comes second along with family arguments! Yet nearly a third of people will be eating Christmas dinner with more than seven guests and 45 per cent will spend over five hours preparing and cooking the festive meal.
Sean Suckling, Public Protection Manager at City of York Council, said: “The Christmas period can provide challenges when it comes to avoiding food poisoning. Cooking for more people than usual can mean having to handle different storage, defrosting and cooking times for food, making sure that large amounts of food are stored safely, and ensuring that any leftovers are still safe to eat, all while reducing unnecessary food waste.”
Dr Kevin Hargin, Head of Foodborne Disease at the Food Standards Agency, said: “In that long list of things to consider at Christmas, it’s very important that food safety isn’t forgotten. Planning is key, so make sure you follow some straightforward steps to ensure Christmas this year isn’t remembered for all the wrong reasons.”
The Food Standards Agency has produced the following tips to ensure everyone has a happy and healthy Christmas.
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