Poultry - chicken and turkey

The main bacterial risks associated with poultry are Camplyobacter and Salmonella. 

Always follow any instructions on packaging which may accompany the poultry and:

• buy from a reputable supplier
• store perishable foods in a fridge as soon as possible
• keep your fridge at below 8 degrees centigrade
• keep your freezer below minus 18 degrees centigrade
• never buy or consume food with an expired 'use by date'
• store cooked and raw food separately
• store cooked foods above raw foods
• always wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food and after preparing raw food
• clean and disinfect kitchen work surfaces and utensils between the preparation of different foods
• keep pets out of the kitchen
• make sure frozen food is thawed completely before cooking - remove from the freezer and defrost in a cool place for no more that 12 hours, then continue the thawing process in a fridge (keep the poultry covered and in a deep container)
• make sure poultry is not exposed to any risk of contamination from people, plants, air, pets, and pests
• put the fully thawed poultry into a hot oven
• make sure the juices run clear and that the poultry is fully cooked
• if using a microwave oven allow standing times when stated
• do not reheat chicken more than once and ensure that it is re-heated thoroughly
• never re-freeze thawed poultry