Food is a huge part of how we celebrate the holiday season - think platters of fresh fish, oven-baked meats and leftovers galore.

With full fridges and stuffed tummies, it’s important we all store and prepare food safely, so guests remember your hospitality for the right reasons and not because of the unwanted gift of food poisoning.

So here are our top tips to safely prepare, store and serve festive feasts:

Plan ahead

Use up food in your fridge and freezer to make room for the big Christmas food shop. Plan meals and quantities and consider freezing food and meals ahead of time.

Keeping cool

Check that your fridge is cold enough – between zero and 5°C - after your final food shop has been put away, anything higher than 5°C is a perfect environment for bacteria to grow.  

Defrosting

Remove meat from the freezer and defrost it on the bottom shelf of the fridge to avoid germy juices dripping onto other food items. Allow 10 to 12 hours of defrost time per kg, a 6kg turkey for instance can take around 3 days to safely defrost in a 4°C fridge.

Handy hygiene

Always wash your hands in warm soapy water before and during meal prep, especially after handling raw meat.  Do the same with utensils, plates and chopping boards between tasks, or use different items for raw and ready to eat and cooked food. Avoid washing raw poultry and other meat, as this can splash harmful bacteria around the kitchen which could make you or others ill. 

Fridge rules

If you’re prepping meals in advance, ensure that any unused ingredients taken out of the fridge go back in the minute you’ve finished. Make sure you don’t overload your fridge as it reduces airflow and increases the temperature, creating a breeding ground for bacteria.

Check dates

Check and follow all ‘use by’ dates, even if the item appears to smell fine.

Meat matters

Check your meat is thoroughly cooked. There should be no visible pink meat and juices should run clear. Use a food thermometer to check it reaches 75°C in its’ thickest part.

Seafood safety 

Seafood needs special care from the time it is bought. Take a cooler bag to the store and purchase seafood with a fresh sea smell. Opened oysters should look wet and smell of fresh sea. For unopened oysters and mussels, shells must be closed or close when tapped. Put seafood into the fridge or freezer as soon as you get home. Eat prawns within 3 days of purchase or freeze for up to 3 months. Eat opened oysters within 24 hours of purchase. Don’t eat overly ‘fishy’ or off-smelling seafood.

Leftover love

Any uneaten meals should be put in the fridge within two hours of serving. and used within 2 days or frozen. For a buffet keep chilled foods out of the fridge for the shortest time possible and no longer than four hours.  Only reheat once and ensure the food is steaming hot.