The Christmas Food Safety Citizen Science Project: Enabling Consumers to Ensure Safe Cooking Temperatures

In the United Kingdom, turkey is the most popular Christmas meat, yet many consumers lack experience cooking large whole birds, increasing the risk of undercooking and foodborne illness. The best method to determine cooking adequacy is using a probe to ensure a temperature ≥75 °C is achieved; nevertheless, consumer usage of temperature probes is very low. The citizen science project was designed to distribute temperature probes to consumers to ensure the safe cooking of Christmas turkeys and other large joints of meat. Adverts (n = 30) calling for volunteers to participate in the citizen science project were posted on social media groups. Temperature probes (n = 1000) were sent to participants with instructions for use. An online platform was created to enable participants to upload images of probes being used and record self-reported practices. The platform received 405 images from 277 participants, yielding a 28% response rate. Interestingly, 82% of participants had never owned a temperature probe. Of the 405 entries, 133 (33%) did not reach the recommended 75 °C when initially checked, but 86% of participants (n = 114) rectified this by continuing to cook their meat until it reached ≥75 °C, 13% intentionally opted for a temperature below 75 °C such as for medium rare beef/lamb, one participant reported they ‘stopped cooking and hoped it would be ok’. Follow-up data demonstrated lasting impact, with 32% of participants responding to the survey. All reportedly continued using the probe beyond Christmas, and 92% considered it essential for food safety. This project has equipped and enabled consumers to ensure safe cooking temperatures at Christmas. Furthermore, the impact extends beyond a one-time initiative, as it provided a valuable tool for consumers to enable ongoing cooking assessments. The project demonstrated that citizen science can effectively engage the public in food safety research and promote behavioral changes that have implications for public health.