A partridge in a pear tree...

At this time of year we get to have some fun sending out some serious food safety messages wrapped up in a bit of festive cheer.    

This year a survey carried out by the Agency revealed that 80% of people in the UK were washing their turkeys before cooking. As you will hopefully be aware, washing raw meat can splash food poisoning bacteria around the kitchen, onto surfaces, utensils and chopping boards.  In 2002 an Agency study looking at the risks associated with handling raw meat found that when washing raw chicken in the sink, water droplets travelled up to 70cm.

This creates an obvious food safety risk and so is the focus of our Christmas food safety campaign this year. In previous years we have used TV ads, games and broadcast interviews to spread our festive safety messages.  This year radio ads featuring celebrity chefs Gary Rhodes and Ainsley Harriott are on the menu, they deal with two particular risks to food safety over Christmas: washing raw meat and not cooking food thoroughly. The ads are being aired this week, so listen out for them on local radio stations or preview them here.

To help spread our food safety messages my colleagues across the Agency have donned their Christmas hats to spread our festive advice through both regional broadcast and national print interviews.

Along with the advice that we provide to consumers throughout the year, we also have a programme of research that aims to reduce the levels of food poisoning bacteria in poultry and improve biosecurity on farms. Together this all contributes towards our target to reduce foodborne disease and help keep UK consumers healthy over the holiday period and into the New Year.

Finally, I'd like to wish you you all very Happy Christmas from the Food Standards Agency, and look forward to blogging again soon.