The risk of food poisoning is heightened at Christmas but it can be avoided with these simple steps

With warmer temperatures and a buffet-style spread common for Christmas lunch, it can be the ideal breeding ground for bacteria. 

Hospital emergency departments in Australia usually see a significant increase in food poisoning cases over the Christmas and new year period.

But experts say there are things you can do to ensure food is prepared and stored safely, and using a special ham bag isn't one of them. 

Ham bag safety

Cheryl Hughes, a food technologist at consultancy business Facts on Food, warns that using ham bags incorrectly heightens the risk of food poisoning. 

"The purpose of the ham bag is to maintain quality, as opposed to a food safety control," she said. 

"You need to wash the bags first and then soak them in a solution of water and white vinegar for a few minutes and then wring out the excess so that they're damp.

Ms Hughes said the bags also need to be washed and refreshed every two to three days.

Poor food hygiene 

There were more than 6,000 reports of gastroenteritis cases in WA this year alone — most of which were likely attributed to food-borne transmission.

Despite being extremely common, food poisoning has the potential to cause serious illness and even death, especially among vulnerable people. 

According to WA Health, 80 per cent of cases each year were linked to poor food hygiene at home.

Executive Director of Environmental Health, Dr Michael Lindsay, warned people not to rely on their senses to check if something is off, as food poisoning bacteria often won't cause food to look, smell or taste spoiled.

And the culprit is not always the last meal you consumed. 

"Food poisoning symptoms can take between a few hours to a few days to start depending on the cause,” he said.  

All foods eaten over the three days before symptoms appear should be considered.

Cross contamination

Ms Hughes said cross contamination was the most common mistake people made when preparing food. 

"Raw foods should be kept separate from the cooked and ready-to-eat foods all the time," she said. 

"Use different chopping boards and knives for your raw foods, and different utensils for the cooked and the ready to eat foods."

Never wash raw chicken as it can spread bacteria from the chicken all around the kitchen and food preparation areas.

It's also best to store raw meat at the bottom of the fridge and Ms Hughes suggests using a tray to keep any juices from dripping onto other food items.

Keeping your fridge at the right temperature — below 5°C — is also vital for food safety.

The two-hour and four-hour rules

While it can be tempting to sit back and relax on a hot summer's day, it's best not to leave food out for too long. 

Dr Lindsay said warm temperatures provide a favourable environment for bacterial contaminants to thrive and multiply.

"Food should not be kept at room temperature for longer than two hours," he said.

"You should throw out foods containing meat, dairy products or other perishable goods that have been left out for more than four hours."

What about leftovers?

Leftovers, if stored properly, can be kept for a few days.

"We have leftovers in our house. If it's hot food, I'll put it in the fridge as quickly as possible but not when it's piping hot," said Ms Hughes.

The food needs to have time allowed for the steam to go out because the average fridge is designed to maintain temperature, not remove heat.

"Putting super-hot food into your fridge will increase the temperature of your fridge which will then affect all the other foods in there."

Some bugs carried by food can also be passed person-to-person or from contaminated surfaces that people encounter in everyday life.

Campylobacter can be spread through contact with dogs, cats, chickens, and farm animals carrying the bacteria so people should avoid feeding their animals raw chicken.

And of course, the basics of practising good hygiene are paramount.

"Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before handling food, especially cooked food, and between handling raw and cooked foods," said Ms Hughes.

Make sure your surfaces are clean and your utensils have been washed properly.

And if you've recently had gastro, it's best to leave the cooking to someone else.