[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner admin_label=”Row” _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”0px|||”][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ background_position=”top_left” custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font_size=”15″ border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n
Buying and storing food<\/h2>\n
Firstly do not buy or prepare food too far in advance.
\nWhen buying food you must consider the use by date \u2013 this is the date the manufacturer\/ producer can guarantee that if we have stored it correctly\u00a0(in the fridge) that it is safe to eat.<\/p>\n
Do not buy food that you cannot eat before the end of this use by period.
\nYou will also need to be mindful of the \u2018once open consume within\u2019 guidance given \u2013 this will over ride the shelf life and may only be 2 days.
\nSo do not buy your perishable foods too far in advance. If you need to buy early then freeze as soon as you can after purchasing \u2013 more on defrosting later.<\/p>\n
Best before dates are just that. The food tastes best before that date \u2013 it won\u2019t harm you afterwards, though it may not taste as good as it should.<\/p>\n
Keep perishable foods in the fridge and do not overload the fridge.
\nI know we want a chilled beer or glass of wine, but the foodstuffs that support nasty bacteria growing need to be kept refrigerated to ensure the food is safe to eat.<\/p>\n
Also we should not overload our fridges \u2013 if air cannot circulate this can cause a rise in temperature which can cause a dangerous growth of bacteria.<\/p>\n
Also we need to keep raw and ready-to-eat foods apart.
\nKeep raw meats\/ fish\/ eggs and veg, particularly soily veg at the bottom of the fridge.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Preparing food<\/h2>\n
When preparing foods, this too, must not be done too far in advance.
\nIf you’re still eating the turkey on New Year\u2019s day it is pushing it from a food safety perspective \u2013 prepare what you can eat within 2 \u20133 days.<\/p>\n
If you are not going to eat it, portion it up and freeze as soon after cooking as you can.
\nDo cool foods quickly by portioning them, or taking them out of their cooking container as this will prevent nasty poisons \/ toxins developing.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Preparing the festive bird<\/h2>\n
There is no need to wash the bird \u2013 this can cause bacteria to be splashed and therefore spread around the kitchen. Those stomach upsetting bugs will be killed if the bird is cooked thoroughly.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Cooking and defrosting<\/h2>\n
If you need to defrost foods, do it in the fridge. This will take longer but it is safer. If there is no room in the fridge do it overnight whilst the central heating is off.
\nEnsure that all foods are thoroughly defrosted before cooking, otherwise the oven temperature will just defrost the meat and not cook it thoroughly.<\/p>\n
Allow enough time for the cooking process.
\nBe mindful of how much food you need to cook at once and the order it needs to be cooked in. Most shops and magazines have countdown guides.
\nI would rather have a delayed festive meal than food poisoning, or a hard potato rather than an undercooked pink turkey!<\/p>\n
Always check that poultry is cooked thoroughly \u2013 you do not need a probe \u2013 but pierce the bird\/dish at the thickest point and ensure that juices are clear and the food is piping hot.<\/p>\n
And lastly enjoy without the fear of a festive food poisoning!<\/strong><\/em> [\/et_pb_testimonial][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner admin_label=”Row” _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”||20px|”][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_post_nav in_same_term=”off” prev_text=”%title” next_text=”%title” _builder_version=”3.0.87″ title_text_color=”#853d01″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” hide_prev=”off” hide_next=”off”][\/et_pb_post_nav][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_sidebar area=”sidebar-1″ _builder_version=”3.0.74″ remove_border=”on”][\/et_pb_sidebar][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″ background_color=”#863e1d” custom_padding=”0px||20px|” transparent_background=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” global_module=”25399″][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ padding_mobile=”off” make_equal=”on” column_padding_mobile=”on” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”||5px|” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_layout=”dark” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n For the latest producer info, shows, markets, recipes, competitions and more each month.<\/p>\n Please be assured that we don’t sell or pass on your information to third parties.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_layout=”dark” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_contact_form email=”info@artisanfoodtrail.co.uk” custom_message=”%%Name%% %%Email%%” success_message=”Thank you for subscribing to The Artisan Food Trails email list. You will receive your first email at our next mailing.” _builder_version=”3.23″ form_field_background_color=”#ffffff” title_level=”h2″ custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_icon_color=”#ffffff” custom_css_contact_title=”display:none;” custom_css_text_field=”color: #ffffff;” custom_css_captcha_label=”color: #ffffff;” border_radii=”on|0px|0px|0px|0px” use_border_color=”off” form_background_color=”#ffffff” button_border_radius_hover=”0″][et_pb_contact_field field_id=”Name” field_title=”Name” fullwidth_field=”on” _builder_version=”3.16″ form_field_font=”||||” use_border_color=”off” border_style=”solid” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”] [\/et_pb_contact_field][et_pb_contact_field field_id=”Email” field_title=”Email Address” field_type=”email” fullwidth_field=”on” _builder_version=”3.16″ form_field_font=”||||” use_border_color=”off” border_style=”solid” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”] [\/et_pb_contact_field][\/et_pb_contact_form][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Christmas is a time when a lot of food is bought and consumed, sometimes rather too much of it too. We’re often faced with the prospect of cooking unfamiliar things, after all it’s not everyday we cook a huge turkey or rib of beef. And then there’s the issue of all the surplus \u2013 what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":27159,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" Christmas is a time when a lot of food is bought and consumed, sometimes rather too much of it too. We're often faced with the prospect of cooking unfamiliar things, after all it's not everyday we cook a huge turkey or rib of beef. And then there's the issue of all the surplus - what to do with all the leftovers. Sarah Daniels is director of \u00a0The Red Cat Partnership a health and safety consultancy based in Norwich.<\/span><\/i> Save<\/span>Save<\/span><\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[2258],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artisanfoodtrail.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6939"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artisanfoodtrail.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artisanfoodtrail.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artisanfoodtrail.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artisanfoodtrail.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6939"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/artisanfoodtrail.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6939\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artisanfoodtrail.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artisanfoodtrail.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artisanfoodtrail.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artisanfoodtrail.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner admin_label=”Row” _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”0px|||”][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_testimonial portrait_url=”https:\/\/artisanfoodtrail.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Sarah-Daniels-mugshot.jpg” quote_icon=”off” portrait_width=”120″ portrait_height=”120″ admin_label=”Quote” _builder_version=”4.5.6″ hover_enabled=”0″ border_style=”solid” saved_tabs=”all” body_font=”||||||||” body_line_height=”1.8em”]<\/p>\nSarah Daniels is director of The Red Cat Partnership a health and safety consultancy based in Norwich.
Courses are available covering food safety with a team of chartered environmental health practitioners.
redcatpartnership.co.uk<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\nJoin our Newsletter Email List<\/h2>\n
Keep up to date with:<\/h3>\n
\n
![](\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-oQgqaN7JzMQ\/Vnk4al2mRiI\/AAAAAAAAExw\/POn-xH_pIKc\/s1600\/Christmas%2BFood%2BSafety.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>
Ultimately there is pressure on us to become the ultimate domestic goddess or even god \u2013 but what food safety issues do we need to think about?
Sarah Daniels of The Red Cat Partnership<\/span><\/b><\/a> has given us a few simple tips to follow to ensure your Christmas is a merry one.
Buying and storing food <\/b>
Firstly do not buy or prepare food too far in advance.
When buying food you must consider the use by date \u2013 this is the date the manufacturer\/ producer can guarantee that if we have stored it correctly
(in the fridge) that it is safe to eat.
Do not buy food that you cannot eat before the end of this use by period.
You will also need to be mindful of the \u2018once open consume within\u2019 guidance given \u2013 this will over ride the shelf life and may only be 2 days.
So do not buy your perishable foods too far in advance. If you need to buy early then freeze as soon as you can after purchasing \u2013 more on defrosting later.
Best before dates are just that. The food tastes best before that date \u2013 it won\u2019t harm you afterwards, though it may not taste as good as it should.
Keep perishable foods in the fridge and do not overload the fridge.
I know we want a chilled beer or glass of wine, but the foodstuffs that support nasty bacteria growing need to be kept refrigerated to ensure the food is safe to eat.
Also we should not overload our fridges \u2013 if air cannot circulate this can cause a rise in temperature which can cause a dangerous growth of bacteria.
Also we need to keep raw and ready-to-eat foods apart.
Keep raw meats\/ fish\/ eggs and veg, particularly soily veg at the bottom of the fridge.
Preparing food <\/b>
When preparing foods, this too, must not be done too far in advance.
If you're still eating the turkey on New Year\u2019s day it is pushing it from a food safety perspective \u2013 prepare what you can eat within 2 \u20133 days.
If you are not going to eat it, portion it up and freeze as soon after cooking as you can.
Do cool foods quickly by portioning them, or taking them out of their cooking container as this will prevent nasty poisons \/ toxins developing.
Preparing the festive bird <\/b>
There is no need to wash the bird \u2013 this can cause bacteria to be splashed and therefore spread around the kitchen. Those stomach upsetting bugs will be killed if the bird is cooked thoroughly.
Cooking and defrosting <\/b>
If you need to defrost foods, do it in the fridge. This will take longer but it is safer. If there is no room in the fridge do it overnight whilst the central heating is off.
Ensure that all foods are thoroughly defrosted before cooking, otherwise the oven temperature will just defrost the meat and not cook it thoroughly.
Allow enough time for the cooking process.
Be mindful of how much food you need to cook at once and the order it needs to be cooked in. Most shops and magazines have countdown guides.
I would rather have a delayed festive meal than food poisoning, or a hard potato rather than an undercooked pink turkey!
Always check that poultry is cooked thoroughly \u2013 you do not need a probe \u2013 but pierce the bird\/dish at the thickest point and ensure that juices are clear and the food is piping hot.
And lastly enjoy without the fear of a festive food poisoning!<\/span><\/i><\/b>
<\/p>![](\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-wrvBmjSmFIY\/Vnk4wEdfOZI\/AAAAAAAAEx4\/besVQGZWZPU\/s1600\/sarah%2Bdaniels%2Bnew.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>
Courses are available covering food safety with a team of chartered environmental health practitioners.<\/span><\/i>
www.redcat.gb.com<\/span><\/b><\/a><\/span><\/i><\/p>