’Tis the season for festive feasting ― and, should you’re not cautious, meals poisoning.

NHS Shetland says that “Campylobacter is among the commonest micro organism inflicting meals poisoning, and it’s carefully related to uncooked poultry equivalent to rooster or turkey.”

However cooking your meals appropriately is just one a part of the equation ― it additionally issues how, and when, you retailer leftovers, public well being physique Safefood says.

They add that “In the event you retailer your Christmas dinner leftovers rigorously within the fridge you may maintain on to the glow of Christmas Day and use them up over the subsequent three days.”

In response to Safefood, they need to be coated and saved away inside two hours.

“Don’t eat meals that has been standing at room temperature for greater than 2 hours,” the well being professionals suggested.

In case your turkey nonetheless feels scorching lengthy after you’ve cooked it, you may slice it into smaller items earlier than inserting them in hermetic containers to forestall cross-contamination.

Safefood stresses that “Leftovers saved within the fridge ought to be eaten inside three days. ”

NHS Shetland Well being Safety Nurse Chloe Umphray offers an excellent shorter reheat window: “Storing meals incorrectly and for longer than advisable can enhance the chance of bacterial progress, which may result in meals poisoning,” she warned.

“Key security suggestions embrace: retailer it within the fridge, eat it inside two days and solely reheat it as soon as.”

As Chloe says, you may solely reheat leftovers as soon as.

Nonetheless you cook dinner them, Safefood says they “ought to be reheated till they’re piping scorching all through. And leftover gravy ought to be delivered to a rolling boil.”

Even should you’re consuming the leftover meat chilly, Meals Requirements Scotland provides that you must solely take as a lot turkey as you’ll really want out of the fridge.

They advise in opposition to leaving plates of chilly cuts out, and counsel we punt the meat again within the fridge inside an hour of taking it out if wanted.