Bradford Council's environmental health officers are urging people to follow food safety guidelines to avoid falling ill with food poisoning over the festive season.

The top tip this Christmas is not to wash the turkey under the tap because harmful bacteria could easily splash from raw meat and poultry to worktops, chopping boards, dishes and utensils.

A survey was carried out by the Food Standards Agency which revealed that 80 per cent of people wash their turkeys before cooking them, which significantly increases the risk of food poisoning.

The survey questioned more than 2,000 people about their eating habits at Christmas and found that women over the age of 45 were the most frequent turkey-washing offenders.

Environmental health manager David Clapham said: "Turkey washing does seem to one of the most common misunderstandings. The other common one is not cooking the turkey properly.

"If your turkey is frozen, it needs to be properly defrosted. This can take up to two days. It is best to leave it in the fridge or a cool place.

"To ensure your turkey is thoroughly cooked, you need to check that it's piping hot all the way through. To do this you need to cut into the thickest part to check that none of the meat is pink and when the juices run out, they should be clear."

This advice applies to chicken, duck and goose as well as turkey. Mr Clapham also urged everyone to keep their raw meat away from any other food that is ready to eat, and to wash their hands with warm water and soap regularly and to dry them thoroughly afterwards.

With regard to leftovers, Mr Clapham said: "It is very important to keep cooked meat and poultry in the fridge. If they are left out at room temperature, food poisoning bacteria can grow and multiply. You should therefore cool any leftovers as quickly as possible, then cover them and put them in the fridge."

For further food safety information contact the Community Health & Food Section on (01274) 434666.