You're cooking your Christmas dinner WRONG! Health chiefs warn of 12 festive kitchen mistakes that put families at risk of food poisoning, and how to avoid them

By: dailymail Posted On: December 19, 2025 View: 25

Published: 02:00 EST, 19 December 2025 | Updated: 02:00 EST, 19 December 2025

Tucking into Christmas leftovers days after the big day could make you seriously ill, food safety chiefs have warned.

Instead, Britons wanting to make the most of leftovers should leave them to cool at room temperature before placing them straight in the fridge or freezer.

Food Standards Agency (FSA) officials say eating food that's been left out with no chilling, or putting hot food straight into the fridge risks causing food poisoning.

This is because it raises the likelihood of food spoiling, encouraging the rapid reproduction of harmful bacteria like salmonella and campylobacter — both of which can trigger diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting.

In updated festive guidance, the agency warned of 11 other common health mistakes people make that may 'ruin Christmas'.

'Research reveals we're a nation of festive food gamblers, with large numbers likely to take risky kitchen shortcuts that could leave themselves, family and friends seriously ill over the holidays,' the FSA said.

'And for some people—like pregnant women, those with weakened immune systems and older people, the risks are even greater.'

Such mistakes included not thawing their turkey properly, which can cause uneven cooking, stopping it from reaching safe temperatures throughout.

According to the FSA, one in six fail to cool leftovers at room temperature before refrigerating

A typical large frozen turkey, weighing around seven kilograms, can take as long as four days to fully defrost and at least three hours to cook, the FSA said.

But despite almost two thirds of people admitting to the habit, thawing should be done in a five degree fridge.

Other 'festive food fails' included eating dairy products as well as fish or cold meats past use-by dates because they 'still look and smell fine' or leaving buffet food out for four hours or more.

Reusing knives or utensils used for raw meat and other foods without cleaning thoroughly them first, may also pose a health hazard, the FSA said.

Food poisoning can also occur because the fridge is too warm, the FSA said.

It advised to check the temperature remains below 5C, as bacteria thrives between 8C and 63C.

Cooked fish and meat, meanwhile, can be kept in the fridge for three to four days, while cheese can be kept longer than cream and custard.

Cooked turkey can also be frozen for up to six months. But once it is defrosted, it must be eaten within 24 hours and cannot be re-frozen, the FSA advised.

Food Standards Agency (FSA) officials say stuffing your turkey could increase the risk of food poisoning

Around 70,000 in England and Wales seek medical advice for food poisoning over the Christmas period, stats suggest.

But the FSA believes the figure could be as high as 2.4million, as many do not go to the doctor.

The agency also reminded hosts to check in with their guests for any allergies or intolerances before the big day, to give them ample time to prepare, and avoid any life-threatening allergic reactions.

Nearly a third of Britons fail to ask their guests about dietary requirements, increasing the risk of a variety of symptoms, with anaphylaxis being the most severe reaction, the FSA said.

This can make it hard and even impossible to breathe and can cause the body to go into a cardiac emergency like cardiac arrest due to a lack of oxygen.

The 12 Festive Food Fails almost all of us are guilty of

The Worktop Defrost – Leaving poultry (e.g. turkey) or meat to defrost at room temperature (e.g. on the worktop on a plate) instead of in the fridge (62%).
The Dairy Date Gamble – Eating dairy products (e.g. cream, cheese, or desserts) past use-by dates because they still look, taste and smell fine (51%).
The Buffet Blunder – Leaving food out at room temperature (e.g. for a buffet) for 4+ hours (36%).
The Cold Meat Chance – Eating smoked fish or cold meats past use-by dates because they still look, taste and smell fine (37%).
The Allergy Amnesia – Not asking guests about allergies and dietary requirements (30%)
The Leftover Lapse – Letting leftovers sit for hours at room temperature instead of cooling them and getting them in the fridge or freezer within 1-2 hours (16%)
The Half-Baked Hazard – Partially cooking food in advance, then leaving it out at room temperature before finishing it off later (14%)
The Pink Turkey Gamble – Not following cooking instructions properly and checking to make sure your turkey is cooked thoroughly.
The Unwashed Utensil - Reusing knives or utensils used for raw meat and other foods without cleaning thoroughly them first.
The Forgotten Fridge Check – Not knowing if your fridge is below 5C.
The Week-Old Leftover – Keeping Christmas dinner remains for more than two days.
The Warm Storage – Putting hot leftovers straight into the fridge without cooling first.