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Cooks warned of festive food poisoning risk
Rinsing the Christmas turkey before cooking it significantly increases the likelihood of food poisoning, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned.
A survey by the government department has found that some 80% of people wash their raw turkey before putting it in the oven.
The FSA says that cooking meat properly will kill the germs that could otherwise cause food poisoning, but that washing raw poultry can cause them to be splashed onto other surfaces and utensils, where they can linger for days.
'Most people think they know how to prepare the Christmas meal with their eyes shut,' said Judith Hilton, head of microbiological safety at the FSA.
'But we've found that there are still a couple of Christmas food safety clangers served up each year. Turkey washing seems to be the most common blunder.'
The agency has issued advice on safely preparing poultry at Christmas, and has set up a dedicated email address for those who want further information.
Category: Healthy Lifestyle
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