As we edge closer and closer to Christmas, many British shoppers will be looking to find the perfect turkey for their festive spread.
However, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued new advice to consumers about the state their meat will be in this winter. According to the government department, shoppers may notice that turkey, duck, capon, or goose products may come with the label 'defrosted'.
This is because a temporary change will be brought in on November 28 to December 31 where many poultry products, excluding chicken, will have been previously frozen and defrosted before being placed on sale. It comes amid fears present in the poultry in tackling bird flu.
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Narriman Looch, Head of Foodborne Disease Control at the FSA, said: "Like other poultry, these defrosted products will be perfectly safe for you and your family to eat as long as you follow the instructions on the label and practice good food hygiene. This is different to our usual advice of not refreezing raw meat thawed at home as the food industry has specialist equipment to very quickly freeze, then defrost these products in controlled conditions.
"Home freezers are less efficient so defrosting and refreezing raw meat at home could allow the growth of harmful germs.”
Andrea Martinez-Inchausti, Deputy Director for Food at the British Retail Consortium, said: "Retailers are taking active steps to ensure that their customers are able to enjoy turkey during the festive season. By killing birds a bit earlier and freezing them, these products can be defrosted and sold in the run up to Christmas without worries about the impact of avian flu on supply.”
The FSA also highlights to customers that poultry and poultry products which are properly cooked should be safe to eat. It adds that bird flu poses a "very low food safety risk for UK consumers, and it does not change the FSA's advice on consumption of poultry products".
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