Bromley Council’s food safety team is reminding people of good food safety practices during this holiday period.

Every year around 4,500 people suffer from food poisoning in December.

This is mostly as a result of the campylobacter bacteria, which is found in turkey and chicken, but is destroyed thorough cooking.

There are some simple steps you can take around the proper preparation, cooking and storage of food to keep everyone safe and well.

The Food Standards Agency advises:

• Do not wash raw turkey or any other raw poultry or meat as this can spread the bacteria and viruses that can cause food poisoning. Proper cooking destroys these germs.

• Ensure your turkey and other poultry is cooked all the way through so it is steaming hot, no longer pink and the juices run clear. A frozen turkey must be fully defrosted before cooking which can take up to 48 hours in the fridge or a cool place.

• Leftover food must be cooled as quickly as possible, covered then stored in the fridge and used within two days or put in the freezer and used within one month. Leftovers must only be reheated once and must be heated until steaming hot.

• Store food by setting your fridge to a temperature between 0°C and 5°C and keep raw food below and separate from cooked food in your fridge and freezer.

• Regularly wash and thoroughly dry your hands before and after handling food, especially raw poultry and meat.

Councillor Tim Stevens, executive member for public protection and safety said: “We urge you to follow simple food hygiene rules so that you can stay safe and well over the festive season.”