FED:Avoid food poisoning this holiday season

AAP General News (Australia)
12-21-2010
FED:Avoid food poisoning this holiday season

Eds: EMBARGOED until 0001 (AEDT) Tuesday 21 December.



SYDNEY, Dec 21 AAP - Food poisoning is one gift Australians should avoid giving their
families this Christmas, health authorities have warned.

Hot weather, a large gathering and the pressure of the holiday season create "a perfect
storm for food poisoning," according to the Food Safety Information Council.

About 5.4 million cases of food poisoning occur each year in Australia and while many
people recover in a few days, it can cause hospitalisation, trigger chronic diseases and
even death.

This Christmas, families are being warned to apply the safety council's food preparation
tips: Choose, Clean, Chill, Cook and Separate.

This involves choosing a manageable menu, Food Safety Information Council chairman
Dr Michael Eyles said.

People should clean out the fridge before Christmas and ensure perishable foods are
well chilled at below five degrees Celsius.

Food left unrefrigerated for up to two hours is generally fine as long as it is not
sitting in the sun, but after two hours the risk of food poisoning increases, the council
said.

After four hours, any unrefrigerated food should be thrown out.

Food should be cooked properly using a meat thermometer and meats and poultry should
be separated from other foods to avoid cross contamination.

Seafood should be transported home from the fishmongers packed in ice and refrigerated
as soon as possible.

"The statistics show food poisoning should never be taken lightly," Dr Eyles said.

AAP ih/cdh

KEYWORD: XMAS FOOD EMBARGOED

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