Health warning for those thinking about stuffing their turkey on Christmas Day

There's truly nothing better than a Christmas dinner - our mouths water at the mere thought of roast turkey with all the trimmings and lashings of gravy.

But, experts warn that a common Christmas day cooking practice could be putting your health at risk.

While there are many different components to the perfect Christmas dinner, the centrepiece of it all is undoubtedly the turkey.

You need to be careful cooking it, however, as food experts warn against stuffing the turkey as it could actually lead to food poisoning.

Guidance from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) warns that cooking a turkey with stuffing inside may lead to uneven cooking and allow harmful bacteria to survive.

Instead, it should be cooked in a separate tin.

"Cook the stuffing in a separate roasting tin, not inside the turkey," the FSA says. "A stuffed turkey will take longer to cook and may not cook thoroughly if it has not reached the correct temperature throughout."

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They also shared how you'll know when your turkey is ready to eat.

"Make sure your turkey, or any other bird you're preparing for Christmas, is steaming hot and cooked all the way through," they say.

"If you do not have a meat thermometer or temperature probe, cut into the thickest part of the meat, check that none of the meat is pink and that any juices run clear.

"In a whole bird, the thickest part of the meat is the area between the leg and the breast."

Other health issues at hand include making sure the turkey has defrosted properly if frozen and avoiding cross-contamination.

The FSA says: "Do not defrost your turkey at room temperature, instead, you should defrost your turkey in the fridge (on the bottom shelf)."

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This may take up to four days for a 'typical large turkey,' they say.

"Ideally, defrost your turkey in a container big enough to catch any drips to avoid cross-contamination. Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after handling any part of the raw turkey."

Speaking of Christmas dinners, one nan sparked outrage recently when she revealed she charges her family to attend - and she's even upped the prices this year!

For the past six years, Caroline Duddridge from Cardiff has been getting her guests to cover the costs of the family Christmas dinner.

She charges between £2.50 and £15 per person, and even raised her prices for 2023 as the cost of living crisis saw the cost of food soar.

"Obviously there were a few moans and grumbles saying 'I've got a few children'," she said. "But at the end of the day that's not my problem really, is it?"