1. Food Safety at ChristmasBy
Dr. Deryck D. Pattron, Ph.D.
FDI, Ministry of Health,
Trinidad, West Indies

2. Why Should Extra Care Be Taken To Keep Food Safe At Christmas?
Consumers tend to buy large quantities of food in advance of the holidays
Consumers and the general public tend to cook larger quantities of food over the Christmas period and this period is a danger time for food poisoning
Storing food before, during and after Christmas lends itself to increase in bacteria that cause foodborne illness because the fridge is overloaded, the weather is hot and more food is prepared than usual

3. Cleaning Washcloths For Christmas
Keeping your kitchen clean is essential to keeping food safe
Wash kitchen cloths and sponges regularly and leave them to dry before using them again
Use different cloths for different jobs
Disposable kitchen towel is the preferred choice, because it can be thrown away and reduces the risk of cross-contamination, that is, the transfer of pathogens from one surface to another

4. Cleaning Worktops For Christmas
Always wash and sanitise worktops before you start preparing food
Wipe up any spilt food immediately
Always wash worktops thoroughly after they have been touched by raw meat, poultry, or raw eggs
Never put ready-to-eat food on worktops that has been touched by raw meat, unless you have washed it thoroughly first

5. How Often Do You Need To Wash Your Hands When Preparing The Christmas Dinner?
Before, during and after preparing food
After touching raw meat
After going to the toilet
After touching the bin
After touching pets
After coughing or sneezing
As necessary to maintain safe hygienic conditions

6. How To Wash Hands When Preparing The Christmas Dinner?
Wash hands and forearm with soap and warm water for at least 20 sec
Rinse thoroughly and dry with disposable single-use paper towel

7. Use Of Gloves To Prevent Cross-Contamination
Hands should be washed before gloves are put on and after they are taken off
Gloves protect against cross-contamination
Plastic single use gloves are used for one task only such as working with raw meat or poultry
Discard gloves when soiled or damaged
Change gloves when interruptions occur during food preparation

8. Buying Food For Christmas
If you are buying fresh meat or poultry e.g. a fresh turkey, buy it as close to Christmas as possible and store in your fridge straight away
If you are buying frozen meat, put it in the freezer without delay to ensure it stays frozen
Avoid keeping food in temperature danger zone between 5 ºC and 60 ºC

9. Storing Food For Christmas
Fridges should be set between 1-5ºC
A fridge thermometer should be used to check that your fridge temperature is at the right temperature
Keep cold foods below 5 ºC and hot foods over
60 ºC
Avoid overloading your fridge since this prevents cold air from circulating properly and can stop it from working properly. Use first-in-first-out rotation

10. Defrosting Food For The Christmas Dinner
All meat and meat products should be defrosted thoroughly in the fridge, allowing 24 h for every 4-5 lbs of weight
Meat and meat products when fully defrosted should be stored in the fridge if not used immediately

11. Precautions Taken When Gutting Fresh Poultry
Handle and remove the internal organs well away from other foods to avoid contamination
Use disposable cloths, paper towels and disposable gloves whenever possible
The guts should be removed carefully from the rear of the bird and heart from the neck

12. Precautions Taken When Gutting Fresh Poultry (Cont’d)
Avoid rupturing the intestines and spilling the contents of the gut
Keep work surfaces and equipment clean and dry during use

13. Precautions Taken After Gutting Fresh Poultry
Wash poultry carefully as to avoid splashing that may cause bacteria to spread around the kitchen
Dispose internal organs and any other inedible material carefully in a waste bin
Wash utensils and work surfaces thoroughly in warm soapy water after use, if possible, disinfect them

14. Internal Cooked Temperature Guide For Poultry
Ground chicken, turkey 74 ºC
Whole chicken,turkey
Medium, unstuffed ºC
Well done ºC
With stuffing ºC
Poultry breasts, roasts ºC
Thighs, wings cook until juices run clear

15. Internal Cooked Temperature Guide For Fresh Pork & Ham
Medium done fresh pork 71 ºC
Well done pork ºC
Ham ºC
Fresh, raw (leg) ºC
Fully cooked, to reheat 60 ºC

16. Internal Cooked Temperature Guide For Fresh Beef, Veal & Lamb
Ground meat e.g. hamburger ºC
Roasts and steaks
Medium rare ºC
Medium ºC
Well done ºC

17. Preparing The Christmas Dinner
Cooking
Foods should be prepared close as possible to eating time
Meat should be cooked thoroughly and should have an internal temperature of 75 ºC
Ensure there is no pink meat and that the juices run clear, not pink
Cook stuffing preferable outside the meat/bird because stuffing slows down cooking and cooling

18. Preparing The Christmas Dinner (Cont’d)
Cooking
If stuffing is cooked inside the bird, stuff just the neck region and not the entire bird
Allow extra time for cooking taking into consideration the extra weight of the stuffing

19. Dealing With Leftovers After The Christmas Dinner
Leftover meat should be taken off the bone, cut into small pieces and stored in a shallow container and refrigerate within two hours of serving
Once refrigerated leftover meat should be eaten within three days
All re-heated foods should be steaming hot all the way through at least 75 ºC

20. Transporting Food Safely
Hot food should be wrapped in foil and heavy towels or carried or in insulated containers with hot packs
Cold foods should be transported in a cooler with ice or freezer pack so that the food remains at 5 ºC or lower

21. Common Foodborne Bacteria Associated With Improperly Prepared Christmas Food
Salmonella
Staphyloccus aureus
Listeria monocytogenes

22. Common Foodborne Bacteria Associated With Improperly Prepared Christmas Food (Cont’d)
Campylobacter jejuni
Clostridium botulinum
Shigella
Echerichia coli 0157:H7

23. Keeping The 4 C’s For Christmas
Cook meat and meat products steaming hot until juices run clear
Clean hands before handling food. Clean utensils and scrub chopping boards between preparing raw and cooked food
Cover and separate raw food from cooked or processed food
Chill food to prevent or reduce spoilage and deterioration

24. Conclusion
Food poisoning could dampen the Christmas spirit and cause immense human suffering, it is therefore prudent for all those who are involved in food preparation from “farm to fork” to be aware and practice good hygiene, good sanitation, good temperature-time relationships when cooking and cooling and good temperature controlled storage when preparing food for Christmas

25. Thank You! Dr. Deryck D. Pattron FDI, Ministry of Health
Trinidad, West Indies