One in five people will risk food poisoning this year by eating old turkey leftovers, according to a survey by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
The survey looked into the eating habits of UK consumers at Christmas and showed that those in the south east of England (30 per cent) were most likely to keep turkey leftovers in the fridge for up to a week, way past the recommended two day limit.
People in Scotland and the north east of England were the quickest finish off their turkey leftovers.
Judith Hilton, head of microbiological safety at the FSA, said: “We all hate to waste food, but by eating week-old turkey from the fridge, you could be asking for trouble. For the very young, elderly or those with another serious illness, it could be fatal.
“There are better ways of eating and storing leftover turkey which won’t expose you to festive food poisoning. Remember, if you've stored cooked turkey in the fridge, eat it within two days or if you want to make your turkey leftovers last longer, pop them in the freezer as soon as they’re cool.
“Although we all like to push the boat out at Christmas, try not to buy more turkey than you need,” she said.
The FSA recommend that consumers take care in cleaning surfaces and hands, cooking meat all the way through and chilling good at the optimum temperature (between 0 and 5°C).
The FSA report there are more than 850,000 cases of food poisoning a year in the UK, which costs the economy upwards of £1.5 billion a year. Nearly 500 people die in the UK from foodborne disease each year.
