Don’t pre-stuff your turkey with sausage meat this Christmas – unless you want to risk food poisoning, warn safety chiefs

Don't pre-stuff your turkey this Christmas, food safety chiefs have warned.

Instead, Brits who want a tasty filling, such as sausage and herbs, have to cook it separately in another roasting tin.

Officials from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) say if you pop them in the oven you risk causing food poisoning.

In its updated festive cooking guidelines, the agency warned: “A stuffed turkey takes longer to cook.”

The FSA added that a stuffed turkey 'may not cook properly if it has not reached the correct temperature all the time'.

Raw turkey harbors insects such as salmonella and campylobacter, which can cause diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

Usually the diseases go away on their own, but they can be serious for the vulnerable.

FSA chefs also said people often don't thaw the bird properly, which is another cause of uneven cooking.

It says a typical large frozen turkey, which weighs about six to seven pounds, takes up to four days to thaw completely.

This should be done in the refrigerator, rather than at room temperature, the FSA added.

The guidance also reminded Britons of the importance of cleaning 'all work surfaces, cutting boards and utensils with which raw poultry has come into contact'.

Washing raw turkey before cooking also increases the risk of harmful bacteria splashing around the kitchen, leading to cross-contamination of other foods.

Cooking the turkey properly will destroy any bacteria, meaning you don't have to wash it.

Around 70,000 people in England and Wales seek medical advice over the Christmas period due to food poisoning, statistics show.

But the FSA believes the figure could be as high as 2.4 million because many are not going to the doctor.

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

It is advised to check that temperatures are kept below 5C as bacteria thrive between 8C and 63C.

Raw meat and fish should also be covered on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator to prevent cross-contamination or spillage.

Cooked fish and meat can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days, while cheese has a longer shelf life than cream and custard.

Cooked turkey can also be frozen for up to six months. But once it has thawed, it must be eaten within 24 hours and cannot be refrozen, the FSA advises.