Cost of food this Christmas is a real concern for many, survey reveals

Over half of people surveyed are concerned about the cost of food this Christmas, as the cost of living crisis continues. 

New research from Safefood reveals that almost 4 in 10 people are concerned about getting Christmas dinner right this year.

The main concern is the cost of the food (52%) while 9% of respondents claimed to be worried about overcooking turkey and 6% are focused on undercooking it and not being sure if it’s safe to eat.

Other concerns included getting all of the food to the table hot (9%) and having leftover food that goes to waste (9%).

The research was commissioned by Safefood as part of the annual ‘Trust the Meat Thermometer’ campaign.

This year, Safefood is again supporting home cooks to help them ensure that turkey is neither overcooked and more importantly, not undercooked.

Their advice is to use a meat thermometer to ensure that turkey is cooked through to 75 degrees Celsius. Safefood also has extra information this year on Christmas dinner leftovers to ensure they’re not going to waste.

Launching the campaign, Dr Linda Gordon, chief specialist in food science, Safefood said: “This year we know that the focus on cost is a big feature of many people’s Christmas and so getting dinner right is more important than ever. With almost 80% of homes cooking a turkey this year we want to support those home cooks to get it just right. My main recommendation is to use a meat thermometer. They are affordable, easy to use, and add that extra layer of reassurance when making sure that foods like turkey is safely cooked. Whatever cooking method, timings or recipes used; you will know the turkey will be ready to eat when you take it out of the oven and pop the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat between the breast and leg and it reaches 75 degrees Celsius.”

The Safefood research also reveals that while 41% plan to cook the same size turkey as last year, 18% will opt for a smaller turkey, and 10% will opt for a turkey crown.

This is in a bid to reduce excess leftovers, which is a key concern for 9% of people.

“For lots of helpful tips including food safety advice, a cooking time calculator for your turkey and tasty leftover recipes, visit safefood.net/Christmas.  December is the busiest month of the year on our website and last year, we had more than 80,000 people visit our site just between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for practical advice”, added Dr Gordon.

Supporting the campaign, Chef Adrian Martin added: “I’m delighted to support Safefood in helping home cooks prepare for Christmas dinner. Research told us that people are worried about managing excess leftovers this Christmas. My advice is to place cooked leftovers in the fridge within two hours of cooking. Once refrigerated, they should be eaten within three days. In advance of food prep, I suggest getting the fridge festive-ready and fresh with a good clean. My next step is to check the cooking calculations and form a plan for your day. Lastly, enjoy the process and a wonderful meal surrounded by family and friends!”.

The Safefood Christmas campaign is also supported by Eurospar. Commenting, Malachy Hanberry, Managing Director Eurospar said: “We have a vibrant butchery/meat offering at Eurospar and as part of that we see creating awareness and highlighting the importance of food safety standards to our customers as a vital part of the service we provide the community and participating supermarkets will be distributing free cooking leaflets and retailing meat thermometers in the weeks leading up to Christmas.”

Free leaflets will also be available in more than 200 butcher shops with the support of the Association of Craft Butchers in Ireland (ACBI).

For more information, visit www.safefood.net/christmas or follow safefood on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.