Food plays a central role in the Christmas festivities. But it comes with a hidden risk.
It’s estimated that there are over one million cases of food poisoning every year in the UK. And cases spike over the festive period when kitchens are busier, fridges are fuller and everyone is cooking more than usual.
The good news is that most food poisoning is entirely avoidable.
Here’s what you need to know. Plus how the right kitchen appliances can make it far easier to get it right.
There are four basic steps to food safety at Christmas.
Clean
Wash your hands, kitchen worktops and utensils often to avoid the spread of bacteria. Clean your fridge with hot, soapy water the run up to Christmas. This will make room for new festive food by throwing out any perishables that are out of date.
Tidy up as you go along and mop spills when they happen, rather than leaving them until the end of the day.
If your oven has seen a lot of use over the Christmas period, a NEFF oven with pyrolytic self-cleaning takes the hassle out of this. The oven heats to around 480℃ and burns spilt fat and food residue to ash, which simply wipes away. So, no scrubbing, no chemical oven cleaners near your food – just a clean oven ready for the next roast.
Cook
Cooking food to the correct temperature kills harmful bacteria. This can be checked easily with an instant read digital thermometer. Always insert it into the thickest part of the food and continue cooking if the correct temperature hasn’t been reached.
This is one are where a quality oven genuinely earns its keep.
NEFF’s CircoTherm® fan-assisted technology circulates heat evenly across every shelf level. This means that you’re not left with a turkey that’s perfectly done on one side and underdone on the other.
On N70 and N90 models, the full touch TFT display let’s you monitor temperature and time accurately. Plus Circo-Roasting combines fan heat with the grill element to help achieve safely cooked meat. It also ensures a properly crisp finish, rather than food that looks ready on the outside but isn’t cooked through on the inside.
Separate
Keep raw foods away from cooked and ready-to-eat food to avoid cross contamination.
Always wash preparation boards with hot, soapy water and if possible use two boards. One for raw foods and another for fresh produce and ready-to-eat items.
If you’ve bought a fresh turkey, store it in the fridge and cook it no later than two days after purchase. Always store it on the bottom shelf so its juices can’t drip onto other food. If you’ve bought a frozen turkey, keep it in the freezer until you are ready to defrost it.
If you’re cooking a big Christmas spread, a NEFF Double Oven makes separation genuinely practical. You can run two completely different temperatures at once. So the turkey can cook in one cavity while vegetables, pigs in blankets or a pudding go in the other. This ensures that there is no cross-contaminating or picking up flavours from other foods.
Chill
Always keep cold foods cold. Bacteria develop quickly when food sits in a warm environment, so always eat cold food while it’s still cold. Throw away food that’s been sitting at room temperature for more than two hours. If in doubt, throw it out.
A well-maintained fridge and freezer are just as important as the oven itself over Christmas. New Design Kitchens have a range of great quality integrated fridge freezers. So, if yours is struggling to cope with the Christmas overload, have a look at our appliances range.
Other top tips
- Don’t eat uncooked cake and batter mixes. They contain raw egg, which could contain salmonella. Children are particularly at risk, so don’t let them lick the spoon.
- Cook stuffing separately from the turkey. If you do choose to stuff your turkey, remove the stuffing after cooking.
- Keep cold buffet food cold by serving over trays of ice. Keep warm food hot using warming trays or slow cookers. Don’t add new food to existing serving dishes, use a clean one each time. Always provide serving utensils for every dish, including crisps and peanuts, to prevent contamination between guests.
- Store leftovers in the fridge once cooled, without a lid or wrapping until they’ve reached fridge temperature. Use leftovers within two to three days, or freeze them immediately for later use. Don’t overload a fridge, as cool air needs to circulate freely.
How the right appliances help
None of this is complicated, but it is much easier to get right with appliances that are built for it. An oven with even heat distribution and accurate temperature control. Plus a fridge or freezer that actually holds its temperature – will all take the guesswork out of Christmas cooking.
That’s before you even factor in the NEFF Slide & Hide door which means not having to reach awkwardly over a hot oven door.
We hope these tips have helped and that you have a happy and healthy Christmas!
Thinking of treating yourself to a new kitchen for this festive season?
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Come and see it for yourself
There is genuinely no substitute for seeing quality appliances in person before you commit. You can read guides like this one as many times as you like. But standing in front of a NEFF oven, opening the Slide & Hide door while someone explains how they work tells you far more.
At our Cannock showroom, we have several NEFF ovens on display, along with a range of integrated fridges and freezers. Our team are NEFF MasterPartner® specialists, and they’ll take the time to understand how you cook before making a recommendation.
Contact us to find out how we can help, or explore our full range of appliances.
We’re open Monday to Friday 9.30am – 5.00pm and Saturday 10.00am – 4.00pm at Octagon House, 236-238 Walsall Road, Bridgtown, Cannock, WS11 0JL.
Visit our showroom or call us on 01543 570468 we’re always happy to talk kitchens.