The oldest meal Yule ever eat
Monday 22 December 2008
One in five of us will risk food poisoning this year by eating old turkey leftovers, according to a survey by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
The survey looked into the eating habits of UK consumers at Christmas and showed that those in the south east of England (30%) were most likely to keep turkey leftovers in the fridge for up to a week, way past the recommended two day limit. People in Scotland and the north east of England were the quickest to munch through their turkey leftovers.
Judith Hilton, Head of Microbiological Safety, Food Standards Agency, said: 'We all hate to waste food, but by eating week-old turkey from the fridge, you could be asking for trouble. For the very young, elderly or those with another serious illness, it could be fatal.
'There are better ways of eating and storing leftover turkey which won’t expose you to festive food poisoning. Remember, if you've stored cooked turkey in the fridge, eat it within two days or if you want to make your turkey leftovers last longer, pop them in the freezer as soon as they’re cool. Although we all like to push the boat out at Christmas, try not to buy more turkey than you need.'
The best way to avoid festive food poisoning this Christmas is to follow the 4 C's of good food hygiene:
- Cleaning – always wash and dry your hands thoroughly before preparing food and after handling raw meat or poultry. Make sure your worktops are clean.
- Cooking – cook your turkey all the way through until it’s piping hot, the juices run clear and there’s no pink meat. Always reheat leftovers until they’re piping hot.
- Chilling – check your fridge is at the right temperature – ideally between 0-5°C to help stop germs growing. Cool your leftovers quickly (preferably in one or two hours) and put them in the fridge or freezer.
- Avoid cross-contamination – use different chopping board and knives for raw meat and foods that are ready to eat, such as salads and raw vegetables. This will help to stop germs spreading. Keep your raw turkey on the bottom shelf of the fridge separate from other foods.
More information on food safety at Christmas, including defrosting, cooking and storing, as well as recipes for leftover turkey, can be found at the link below.
Notes to editors
There are more than 850,000 cases of food poisoning a year in the UK, which costs the economy upwards of £1.5 billion a year. Nearly 500 people die in the UK from foodborne disease each year.
2,148 people took part in the UK-wide survey run by TNS CAPI Omnibus December 2007.
Regional statistics for those keeping turkey leftovers in the fridge for more than two days.
| UK region | Percentage keeping leftovers more than two days |
|---|---|
| Scotland | 7% |
| Northeast | 10% |
| East Midlands | 13% |
| Northern Ireland | 14% |
| West Midlands | 18% |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 21% |
| North west England | 22% |
| London | 22% |
| Wales | 23% |
| South west England | 25% |
| East of England | 28% |
| South east England | 30% |
On average, people eat their Christmas dinner with six or seven other people.
80% of people wash their turkeys before cooking them, significantly increasing the risk of food poisoning.
This Christmas, in the UK 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
Information sources include:
- Mintel Report into Christmas Food 2006
- The Recycle Works Ltd
- British Retail Consortium
Room 245 Aviation House,
125 Kingsway,
London WC2B 6NH
Telephone: 020 7276 8888
Out of hours duty pager: 07623 978344
Fax: 020 7276 8833
Email: press.mailbox@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk