7 December 2022
The Christmas season is a time for celebration with family and friends, and with food at the centre of most gatherings, Southern Downs Regional Council reminds the community to make sure the festive period is memorable for all the right reasons by following some simple food safety practices!
Council’s Director of Sustainable Development Scott Riley said it is easy to reduce the risk of food poisoning from raw and risky foods by preparing, cooking and storing Christmas dinner safely.
“Christmas brings people together and everyone looks forward to enjoying a feast fit for a king with all the delicious trimmings,” Mr Riley said.
“But it’s important to give your family and friends a great dinner this Christmas, not food poisoning.
“The weather is hot here in Queensland on Christmas Day and we should be extra careful with food safety practices to protect everyone from getting sick, particularly when catering for lots of people.
“Here are some easy-to-do Christmas food safety tips:
Plan ahead. Don’t buy too much food that won’t fit in your fridge. Put sealed drinks in ice buckets to save fridge space.
Remember the temperature danger zone is between 5°C and 60°C. Transport refrigerated and frozen food in a cooler bag with an ice brick. Wrap raw meat in a separate plastic bag or container and put it at the bottom of the bag.
Keep it clean. Remember to wash hands with soap and water and dry them thoroughly before and after handling raw poultry, red meat or visibly dirty eggs and vegetables.
Cook the turkey properly. Defrost the turkey fully in the fridge. Cook until a meat thermometer reads 75°C in the thickest part.
A ham is for Christmas, not for life! Ham will keep for several weeks with proper handling. After reading the packaging labels, remove the plastic wrap, cover it with a clean cloth soaked in water and vinegar so it doesn’t dry out and store it in the fridge below 5°C.
Raw eggs are a risk. Try to avoid raw or minimally cooked egg dishes such as raw egg mayonnaise, egg nog or mousse.
Cooked rice and pasta can pose a food poisoning risk if not refrigerated.
Replace dips. Don’t leave dips out for hours. Serve small amounts and top up the dishes from the fridge every hour or so.
Keep salads and desserts refrigerated. Serve them just before eating and return the leftovers to the fridge.
Refrigerate leftovers straight away. It’s important not to leave Christmas leftovers unrefrigerated. Eat them within three days and make sure your fridge is running at 5°C or below. Write the date you refrigerated them on the container. Always reheat leftovers to 75°C in the centre to kill any food poisoning bugs.
“To learn more about food safety and test your knowledge, take the food safety quiz on the Food Safety Information Council website at www.foodsafety.asn.au.”
If you have any food business concerns or issues or would like further information on the safe handling and sale of food, please contact Council’s Environmental Health Officers on 1300 697 372.
Last edited date 07 Dec 2022