Health / NHS offers advice on how to prevent food poisoning this festive period
NHS Shetland has issued a reminder about how to prevent food poisoning this Christmas.
It said food can unknowingly be contaminated with bacteria or viruses, which can cause gastrointestinal illness, and given the busy time of year it can be easy to forget the importance of storing and preparing food safely in order to minimise harm.
NHS Shetland health protection nurse Chloe Umphray said: “Campylobacter is one of the most common bacteria causing food poisoning, and it is closely associated with raw poultry such as chicken or turkey.
“For most foods, washing them is an important part of food preparation; however, washing raw poultry in your kitchen sink is not recommended as it can actually increase the risk of bacterial spread onto kitchen surfaces.
“Another handy tip is to store raw poultry products on the bottom shelf of the fridge to avoid the chance of it dripping down onto other fridge items.”
“If you are having a traditional turkey or other poultry roast at Christmas, then it is really important to properly defrost before cooking thoroughly.”
She also said it is important to store and reheat food according to advice.
Key safety tips include: store it in the fridge, eat it within two days and only reheat it once.
More information can be found here.
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