Don’t make yourself ill this Christmas

Everyone is being urged to brush up on their food safety ahead of Christmas, when cases of food poisoning tend to spike.

The Food Standards Agency is asking people to think about how they will store, prepare and cook food over the festive period.

It states that the sheer volume of food bought at Christmas can cause problems, as a jam-packed fridge can cause the temperature to rise. And if is not maintained within the required 0-5 degrees, food poisoning bacteria can grow.

Offering safety tips, the FSA suggests people clear out their fridge to make room for Christmas food and to make a plan for Christmas dinner and the few days after to make the most of leftovers.

When cooking meat you should take it out of the freezer to defrost in the fridge or a cool place, with 10 to12 hours of defrost time recommended per kg.

Cooks should also check the turkey is cooked through using a food thermometer to check meat reaches 75 degrees in the thickest part.

Finally, leftovers should be put in fridge within two hours and eaten within two days.

For more food safety tips this Christmas see foodstandards. gov. scot/ consumers/ food-safety/at-home/christmas