Recipe For Disaster, UK

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 13 Dec 2007 - 4:00 PDT

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A total of 80% of people wash their turkeys before cooking them, significantly increasing the risk of food poisoning, according to a new survey by the Food Standards Agency.

The survey, which looked into the eating habits of UK consumers at Christmas, found that women over the age of 45 were the most frequent turkey-washing offenders and cooks in the north-east of England topped the hazard chart, with 90% likely to run their raw turkeys under the tap.

The Agency warns against washing meat because harmful bacteria can 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.

Judith Hilton, Head of Microbiological Safety at the Agency, said: 'Most people think they know how to prepare the Christmas meal with their eyes shut. But we've found that there are still a couple of Christmas food safety clangers served up each year. Turkey washing seems to be the most common blunder.

'Remember, it's not possible to wash off all the germs that cause food poisoning with water. They're killed by heat. By washing your raw turkey, you're actually more likely to spread the germs than get rid of them.'

Results from the survey show that 17% of people aren't sure how to tell when their turkey is cooked and, although formal reported incidents are fairly low, 2% of people think they have suffered from festive food poisoning in the past five years.

To ensure that your turkey is cooked properly, make sure it is piping hot all the way through, cut into the thickest part to check that none of the meat is pink, and if juices run out they should be clear.

Celebrity chefs Gary Rhodes and Ainsley Harriott are featuring in the Agency's radio adverts this year to help people avoid serving up food poisoning at Christmas.

For more information on how to prepare your Christmas dinner safely, visit eatwell.gov.uk or email our turkey experts at turkeymail@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

Notes:

The Food Standards Agency is an independent Government department set up by an Act of Parliament in 2000 to protect the public's health and consumer interests in relation to food.

2,148 people took part in the UK wide survey run by TNS CAPI Omnibus.

The best way to avoid food poisoning is to follow the 4 Cs: Cooking, Chilling, Cleaning and avoiding Cross-contamination. More information can be found on the FSA website: http://www.food.gov.uk.

On average, people eat their Christmas dinner with 6 to 7 other people.

Men are more likely to carve, serve the drinks or relax while women are still the most likely to cook (48% of women cook compared to 22% of men).

About 58% of us buy fresh turkey, 26% buy a frozen one.

This year we're likely to eat:

- 15,000 tonnes of Brussels sprouts, equivalent in weight to 37 jumbo jets
- 19,000 tonnes of turkey (£10 million worth of turkeys) - weighing the same as 1,600 school buses
- 120,000 tonnes of potatoes - the same weight as 34,000 Asian elephants
- 7.5 million carrots - roughly the population of Bulgaria

The Food Standards Agency radio adverts featuring celebrity chefs Gary Rhodes and Ainsley Harriott will run from 17 to 25 December

Food Standards Agency

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