None of us asked for food poisoning on our Christmas list. That's a present nobody wants, regardless of the time of year.

But....... sometimes the stress of the season, or complacency can get the best of us.

So, let's take a quick check on our food safety skills before the big day.

There are five steps to proper hand-washing:

• Wash hands with running water.
• Apply enough soap to create a complete lather.
• Scrub hands, including the top, between fingers, around fingernails and wrists for a minimum of 20 seconds. So crack out the Happy Birthday song twice, just to make sure.
• Rinse hands under running water.
• Dry with a paper towel or air dry.

Hands should also be washed any time during food preparation that your hands have touched another food or surface that may have pathogens on it.

This includes handling raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs, as well as touching unwashed produce, blowing your nose, touching your cellphone or petting a cat or dog, to name a few.

It is so important to keep raw meat, poultry and seafood away from raw or ready-to-eat foods.

For example, do not prepare your raw turkey next to where you are preparing a salad, or do not cut produce on a cutting board that had raw meat on it without washing it thoroughly first.

I think all of us here in Australia are well aware, but just in case - please do not wash your chicken prior to cooking.

Never thaw food on the counter. Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator, in cold water (changing every 30 minutes), or in the microwave. Keep hot food at or above 60 degrees.

Keep cold foods at or below 5 degrees.

Avoid leaving perishable items like dips, cheeses, and salads out for too long by serving them in small amounts and replenishing as needed.

Once food has been cooked, cool it quickly and put it in the refrigerator within two hours. 

A bit of mindfulness goes a long way in making sure everyone has a fun and healthy season.