Foodborne illness the gift that keeps on giving

Christmas is nearly here and it is likely that turkey or chicken will be on the menu in many Kiwi homes. Whether the centrepiece of your festive meal is a traditional roast turkey with all the trimmings, or marinated chicken cooked on the barbeque, the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) has some tips that will help prevent foodborne illness, and keep your festive meal festive.

Following these food safety guidelines for preparing and cooking Christmas poultry should help ensure you avoid the gift that keeps on giving, hours and even days after eating contaminated food.

Defrost frozen poultry thoroughly before cooking. Thaw the bird in its original wrap, preferably in a tray on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Allow about 24 hours defrosting time for every 2–2.5kgs. Marinate poultry in the fridge, not on the bench top and throw leftover marinade away once your dish is ready – don’t use it on cooked food.

Follow the cooking instructions on frozen poultry. Defrosted turkeys need a minimum cooking time of 2 hours and 40 minutes, depending on the size of the bird. It is best to cook the stuffing separately, but if you do stuff the cavity, increase the recommended cooking times by 5 min/kg and make sure the stuffing is fully cooked as well. The safest way to tell your bird is cooked is to use a food thermometer – the temperature should be 82°C or above, measured in the thickest part of the carcass (such as a thigh) but not touching the bone. If you don’t have a thermometer, poultry should be cooked until the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted.

Leftovers should be cooled as quickly as possible and refrigerated within two hours. Divide leftovers into smaller portions and refrigerate in covered shallow containers for quicker cooling. Be careful that the refrigerator temperature stays between 2- 4°C as it can quickly rise to unsafe levels if the door is opened frequently. Reheated poultry must be heated until it’s piping hot.

NZFSA is reminding people of the importance of keeping raw and cooked meats separate. To reduce the risk of cross-contamination, knives and tongs used on raw meat should not be used on cooked meat.

“Some recipes tell you to take reserved marinade that has been used on raw food and pour it over the cooked food before serving. This is a very dangerous practice. If this is what the recipe says, ignore it. Cook the marinade first, or use some that you’ve set aside earlier that has not had any raw meat in it,” Roger Cook, NZFSA Principal Advisor (Microbiology) says.

Mixing raw and cooked meats or their juices can cause foodborne illness. Typical symptoms include stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea which can last for several days. Foodborne illness can be severe and even life-threatening to those most at risk such as the frail elderly, babies and young children, pregnant women, and people with any condition that weakens their immune systems such as HIV/Aids or cancer.
As always, follow the 4Cs – Clean, Cook, Cover, Chill. Wash your hands well with soap and dry thoroughly with a clean towel before handling food.

More information on food safety is on NZFSA’s website www.nzfsa.govt.nz and the Foodsafe Partnership website www.foodsafe.org.nz
NZFSA wishes everyone a safe and merry Christmas.