How to beat 'Boxing Day belly'

OVER the Christmas period the number of food poisoning cases more than doubles - here's how to avoid it!

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EVERY year in Australia there are at least 5.4 million cases of gastroenteritis food poisoning caused by contaminated food, with 120 of these resulting in death.

Over the Christmas period the number of food poisoning cases more than doubles due to overloaded fridges, poorly cooked food and incorrectly stored leftovers.

Patton's Big Gun store owner Brad Patton said there were three simple tips Australians could adopt this festive season to improve food hygiene and avoid the dreaded "Boxing Day belly".

1. Don't overload your fridge

"Bacteria multiply at temperatures between five and 65 degrees," Mr Patton said.

"Overloading your fridge can cause the temperature to rise into this danger zone.

"Make sure your fridge is always at five degrees or less to keep meat and perishables safe.

"If you're storing or thawing Christmas meat in the fridge, make sure it's on the bottom shelf so that juices can't drip onto the ready-to-eat food."

2. Make sure meat is cooked properly

"Roast chicken and turkey are Christmas staples but they can also be the most dangerous if they're not cooked properly," he said.

"Make sure your turkey or chicken is totally thawed before you cook it.

"Thawing in the fridge is the safest way.

"Cooking time will depend on the size of the bird, but a general rule of thumb is an hour per kilo, making sure the juices are running clear and there's no pink throughout the meat."

3. Store your leftovers the right way

"Don't leave food out for too long once everyone has finished eating, as this provides the perfect environment to bacteria to grow," he said.

"Cover the food up as soon as it's finished steaming and store it in the fridge as soon as you can.

"When you're reheating leftovers make sure they're steaming hot all the way through by heating them to around 75 degrees.

"Also make sure leftovers are consumed within three to five days, depending on the type of meat."

With these simple tips in mind Christmas cooks can avoid serving up a nasty case of food poisoning this festive season.

Patton's Big Gun is the largest privately owned, non-supermarket retailer of meat products in Queensland.