Food Standards Scotland joins in the festive fun by defrosting a turkey live on Facebook

suzannetrain Published December 19, 2018

At 12pm today (Wednesday 19 December), Food Standards Scotland will film a frozen turkey defrosting in the fridge live on Facebook.

Although it will hardly be a Christmas blockbuster, we believe this will be a quirky way to show the potential health risks of failing to defrost your turkey properly.

A turkey needs 10-12 hours per kg to fully defrost in the fridge meaning even a small bird of four kg will require nearly two full days to defrost before cooking.

If defrosting in a cool room allow three to four hours per kg. Do not defrost your turkey at room temperature.

Dr Jacqui McElhiney, Food Standards Scotland, said:

“Our live stream shows just how long it can take to defrost your turkey and the need to safely prepare and cook your Christmas meal.

“We’re joining in the festive fun as nothing spoils Christmas like food poisoning, and highlighting the serious point on how long it takes to fully defrost a turkey.

“You should work out defrosting times in advance, so you know how much time to allow. If it’s still partially frozen, recommended cooking times won’t be long enough to cook it thoroughly. This means bacteria that cause food poisoning could survive the cooking process and make you ill.”

A full guide on preparing and cooking turkey is available here.