A Christmas Recipe for Disaster
UK - Check out the FSA's Christmas radio ads, featuring celebrity chefs Gary Rhodes and Ainsley Harriott. The ads are being aired today as part of the Agency's campaign to help people avoid serving up food poisoning this Christmas.In the two 30-second ads, Ainsley and Gary talk us through some classic 'Christmas recipes for disaster', highlighting two major risks to food safety: cooking and cross-contamination. Watch them here.
A recent survey carried out by the Agency found that 80% of people in the UK wash their turkeys before cooking them, which significantly increases the risk of food poisoning by splashing harmful bacteria onto worktops, chopping boards and utensils. The Agency advises that proper cooking will kill any food poisoning bacteria and people shouldn't wash raw meat because this can spread bacteria around the kitchen.
Results from the survey also showed that 17% of people aren’t sure how to tell when their turkey is cooked. There are three main ways to tell if poultry is cooked:
the meat should be piping hot all the way through when you cut into the thickest part of the meat, none of the meat should be pink if juices run out when you pierce the turkey, or when you press the thigh, they should be clear For more information on how to prepare your Christmas dinner safely, click on the link to eatwell below. If you can't find the answer to your question there, you can Turkeymail our experts at: [email protected]
The ads will be played on local radio stations in the run-up to Christmas, between 19 and 25 December, or you can also preview the ads by clicking on the link below. You can also listen to a Welsh version of the ads featuring Welsh celebrity chef Dudley Newbery.