This morning, our very own Jason Burnett, appeared on BBC Radio Manchester advising the public on the importance of food safety at Christmas. For those who missed Jason’s interview, or are from different areas of the country, you can catch his appearance again on iPlayer:

Click here to listen to the interview.

(Source: www.grouptravelorganiser.com)

The opening of the new Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park has really got me into the Christmas mood today.  The first week of December marks the start of the Christmas market season, reminding us, in case we hadn’t already realised, that Christmas is only a few weeks away.

Many of us at this time of year are tempted to pack our suitcases and visit the traditional German Christmas markets.  Don’t get me wrong, these markets are very enjoyable, but I’m pleased to see that a large Christmas market, together with a traditional funfair, is open for those who’d prefer to stay closer to home.

However, one thing that concerns me is the number of people who are expected to visit the Winter Wonderland in the next few weeks, who will be tucking into a range of foods including sausages and hog roasts.

My word of advice to anyone eating at this or any Christmas market in December is, enjoy yourself, but make sure any food you buy is thoroughly cooked – food poisoning will seriously hamper your Christmas shopping.

A short but sweet blog entry for Christmas Eve as we are sure that everyone is very busy with their final preparations before the big day. However, if you do have a spare five minutes, we would recommend that you watch the Food Standards Agency’s viral Christmas video. It raises the important issue of food safety this festive season in a humorous way and certainly left everyone at Check Safety First HQ with the giggles.

Joking aside, it does have an important message and we urge anyone that is cooking for the family to remember the five Cs this Christmas:

Cleaning – yourself and food preparation areas

Cooking – make sure that the food is thoroughly cooked through and piping hot before serving

Cooling – ensure that any leftovers are cooled and refrigerated as quickly as possible, preferably within 90 minutes

Cross-contamination – always store raw meats at the bottom of the fridge so that the juices cannot drip onto other fresh food.

Consumption – eat any leftovers within two days of cooking. If you are still eating turkey come 5 January you are asking for trouble.

All that leaves us to say, is we hope that everyone has a very happy and food poisoning free Christmas. See you in 2009.