As temperatures drop in the Midwest and the leaves take on autumnal hues, many people begin to think about their holiday meal plans; who will be invited and what will be served? For 48 million Americans on average per year, foodborne illness ends up on the menu, but it doesn’t have to! Taking a bit of extra time to plan for food safety can be the difference between a great illness-free holiday party or a memorable hospital visit for food poisoning.
Here are some tips to ensure that foodborne illness does not crash your holiday get-together. Remember — clean, separate, cook, chill!
- Clean
Wash your hands with soap and warm water before preparing foods, when switching tasks, when switching from raw foods to ready-to-eat foods, and then a few more times for good mea-sure. Also, wash your hands before you eat.
Wash surfaces — don’t spread bacteria! Wash counter tops and cutting boards with warm water and soap before preparing foods.
Wash fruits and vegetables — but not meats! Washing raw poultry and other meats has been shown to increase the bacteria n your kitchen by splashing pathogens onto other surfaces. - Separate
Separate raw and ready-to-eat items in your grocery cart! To ensure juices from raw meats don’t contaminate and drip onto the veggies that will be served on your vegetable tray, keep them separated in your cart.
Separate raw and ready-to-eat items in the refrigerator! Store raw poultry, meats, and eggs on the lowest shelves to ensure that pathogens are not dripping onto ready-to-eat and drink items.
Separate cutting boards for raw and ready-to-eat items! If possible, designate one cutting board for raw meats only and one cutting board for raw fruits and vegetables only.
Separate turkey and stuffing! Turkey and stuffing go together like bread and butter, but they should not be cooked together. The stuffing inside the turkey soaks up bacteria from the cavity of the bird and generally does not reach a safe 165 degrees F until long after the meat does. The result is either bacteria-laden stuffing and a moist turkey, or fully cooked stuffing and an overcooked bird. Many people have started to stuff their turkeys with a few herbs and spices only, and cook their stuffing separately. If you must stuff the turkey, consider this stuffing to be for pictures only. Make a separate pan of stuffing for guests to eat safely. - Cook
Ignore the unreliable, pop-up thermometers that come standard with your poultry — instead use a conventional, calibrated, metal-stem thermometer. Poultry pop-up timers often malfunction, with one popping up at only 139 degrees F (which isn’t hot enough to kill salmonella, campylobacter, or a multitude of other harmful pathogens) and others not popping up until 190 degrees F (which means your bird will likely be dry and overcooked). Metal-stem thermometers are best.
Keep hot foods hot! Chafing dishes, roasters, and crock pots are all conducive to keeping your food above the safe 135 degrees F while serving. If you’re traveling with a hot dish, use an insulated bag to maintain safe temperatures.
Microwave leftovers to 165 degrees F! Stir reheated foods and use a thermometer to ensure that the dish has reached a safe 165 degrees F. This will ensure most pathogens that had the opportunity to grow are killed or greatly reduced. Bring soups and gravies to a boil. Let foods that have been microwaved stand for a minute so that heat can continue to redistribute. - Chill
Never thaw foods on the counter or in the sink at room temperature! Although the inside might still be frozen; the outer meat could be in the temperature danger zone for far too long and cause bacteria to grow.
Keep cold foods cold! Frozen gel packs, ice, and coolers are all conducive to keeping your cold foods below 41 degrees F. Keep cold foods in the refrigerator as long as possible before serving. If traveling with a cold dish, use an insulated bag or a cooler with ice to maintain safe temperatures.
Refrigerate perishable foods within two hours! Bacteria grows most rapidly at room temperature, so pack up leftovers into shallow containers and get them back into the refrigerator asap so that they can return to a safe, cold temperature of 41 degrees F or less. Consume or discard leftovers within seven days.
When in doubt, throw it out! No explanation needed here!
For answers to any of your holiday food safety questions, call the Meat & Poultry Hotline, toll free at 1-888-MPHotline
(1-888-674-6854).
For tips, charts, and videos on food safety, visit the federal Food Safety website: https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/types/turkey/index.html.
To learn more about the benefits of public health policies and programs, visit online at www.pcchd.org. Peoria City/County Health Department, a nationally accredited public health department.