FOOD poisoning is a serious illness that affects 4.1 million Australians each year, with a cost of $375 million to the NSW community in medical expenses and lost productivity.
Extra supplies of food during the Christmas celebrations and the warmer temperatures can create a recipe for disaster, ending in food poisoning, said NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson.
"Nobody wants to spend the festive season unwell," she said.
"Unfortunately food poisoning is the unwanted gift that keeps on giving, it can make people very sick - particularly those more vulnerable such as the elderly, the young, pregnant women and those who are immune compromised."
Ms Hodgkinson said the warm temperatures combined the the excess food over the festive period sitting on the table over long lunches can be the perfect breeding ground for bacteria
"The most common bacteria associated with food poisoning is salmonella and statistically salmonellosis notifications follow a seasonal pattern and increase in warmer months," she said.
Ms Hodgkinson said fortunately, reducing those risks can be fairly simple.
"The NSW Food Authority recommends you follow a few common sense food safety rules - always observe good hygiene and remember to keep it cold, keep it clean, keep it hot and check the labels," Ms Hodgkinson said.
When storing food over the festive season, Ms Hodgkinson said ensure the fridge is set at five degrees Celsius or below and isn't overloaded with food.
"Hot food needs to be kept and served at 60 degrees Celsius or hotter, if you are reheating left overs ensure they are piping hot," she said.
"Throw out leftovers that have been sitting on the table for more than two hours."
