Environmental health officers are pulling out all the
stops to keep Christmas ‘bug’ free.
The festive season often sees families falling ill by eating
food packed with bacteria or viruses.
And officers say most cases can be avoided by taking simple
precautions. A new leaflet – Fowl Play – has been produced
containing useful advice for every Hambleton and Richmondshire
household.
Raw poultry, turkey, chicken and duck may all carry Salmonella
and a warm kitchen is the ideal place for them to grow.
Fortunately they are easily destroyed by the high temperatures
reached during cooking. Freezing food does not kill bacteria,
but it does stop them from multiplying.
The leaflet gives advice on storage, preparation, cooking and
also the use of leftovers and also a safety checklist:
· take
chilled/frozen food home as quickly as possible
· store raw and
cooked food separately
· thaw frozen
poultry thoroughly before cooking
· cook poultry
thoroughly
· always wash
hands before preparing
food
and after handling raw food
· ‘clean as you
go’ to prevent germs spreading
· disinfect work
surfaces, cloths and utensils after use
· keep pets out
of the kitchen
· take care with
leftovers
· remember that
other foods can cause illness if not handled safely - such as egg
and dairy products
See more information about preparing
and cooking christmas food
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