12 festive kitchen mistakes that put you at risk of food poisoning

Tucking into Christmas leftovers days after the big day could make you seriously ill, food safety chiefs have warned. 

Instead, Britons wanting to make the most of leftovers should leave them to cool at room temperature before placing them straight in the fridge or freezer.

Food Standards Agency (FSA) officials say eating food that’s been left out with no chilling, or putting hot food straight into the fridge risks causing food poisoning. 

This is because it raises the likelihood of food spoiling, encouraging the rapid reproduction of harmful bacteria like salmonella and campylobacter — both of which can trigger diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting.

In updated festive guidance, the agency warned of 11 other common health mistakes people make that may ‘ruin Christmas’. 

‘Research reveals we’re a nation of festive food gamblers, with large numbers likely to take risky kitchen shortcuts that could leave themselves, family and friends seriously ill over the holidays,’ the FSA said. 

‘And for some people—like pregnant women, those with weakened immune systems and older people, the risks are even greater.’ 

Such mistakes included not thawing their turkey properly, which can cause uneven cooking, stopping it from reaching safe temperatures throughout.

A typical large frozen turkey, weighing around seven kilograms, can take as long as four days to fully defrost and at least three hours to cook, the FSA said. 

But despite almost two thirds of people admitting to the habit, thawing should be done in a five degree fridge.

Other ‘festive food fails’ included eating dairy products as well as fish or cold meats past use-by dates because they ‘still look and smell fine’ or leaving buffet food out for four hours or more. 

Reusing knives or utensils used for raw meat and other foods without cleaning thoroughly them first, may also pose a health hazard, the FSA said.   

Food poisoning can also occur because the fridge is too warm, the FSA said.

It advised to check the temperature remains below 5C, as bacteria thrives between 8C and 63C.

Cooked fish and meat, meanwhile, can be kept in the fridge for three to four days, while cheese can be kept longer than cream and custard.

Cooked turkey can also be frozen for up to six months. But once it is defrosted, it must be eaten within 24 hours and cannot be re-frozen, the FSA advised.

Around 70,000 in England and Wales seek medical advice for food poisoning over the Christmas period, stats suggest.

But the FSA believes the figure could be as high as 2.4million, as many do not go to the doctor.

The agency also reminded hosts to check in with their guests for any allergies or intolerances before the big day, to give them ample time to prepare, and avoid any life-threatening allergic reactions.  

Nearly a third of Britons fail to ask their guests about dietary requirements, increasing the risk of a variety of symptoms, with anaphylaxis being the most severe reaction, the FSA said. 

This can make it hard and even impossible to breathe and can cause the body to go into a cardiac emergency like cardiac arrest due to a lack of oxygen.