Food Safety During The Holiday Season
Food is often a central part of any holiday gathering, from family celebrations to work holiday parties, but how can you make sure to avoid food poisoning or foodborne illnesses during this festive time of year? Follow these tips to help keep everyone safe!
Keep foods separate. Make sure to keep meat, chicken, turkey, seafood, and eggs away from all other foods from the grocery store to the refrigerator. Prevent any juices from meats, chicken, turkey, and seafood from dripping onto other foods. Also remember to change or wash your cutting board, plate, or knife as you prepare different items. Do not use the same utensils you used to prepare raw meats, poultry, and seafood, on produce, bread, or other foods that won’t be cooked.
Cook food thoroughly. The best way to ensure that your food has been cooked thoroughly is to use a food thermometer. Cooking meat, chicken, turkey, seafood, and eggs thoroughly is important to kill germs that could make you sick.
Keep food out of the “danger zone”. The “danger zone” is between 40⁰F and 140⁰F, these temperatures are perfect for bacteria growth. After preparing food, keep your hot food hot and your cold food cold. Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods like meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, cut fruit, cooked rice, and leftovers within 2 hours. Keep your refrigerator at 40⁰F or below and your freezer at 0⁰F or below.
Use pasteurized eggs for dishes containing raw eggs. Many of our holiday favorites contain raw eggs, such as eggnog, tiramisu, hollandaise sauce, and Caesar dressing. Salmonella and other harmful germs can live on the outside and inside of eggs. Use pasteurized eggs to avoid these germs.
Do not eat raw dough or batter. Dough and batter made with flour or eggs can contain harmful germs, such as E. coli and Salmonella. Do not eat or taste raw dough or batter that is meant to be baked or cooked. If you are looking for a raw cookie dough fix, check out edible cookie dough at your local grocery store, these are made with heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs or no eggs. Make sure to read the label carefully to ensure the dough is safe to be eaten without baking or cooking.
Thaw your turkey safely. Thaw turkey in the refrigerator, in a sink of cold water (changing the water every 30 minutes), or in the microwave. Do not thaw turkey or other foods on the counter.
Wash your hands. Wash your hands with soap and water during key times such as the following; before preparing food, during food preparation, after food preparation, before eating food, after handling pets or pet food/treats, after using the toilet, after touching garbage, before and after caring for someone who is sick, before and after treating a cut or wound, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
By following these tips, you can ensure a safe and happy holiday season filled with good food and company. These tips are also good to follow for the rest of the year to keep you healthy!
Jackson County: Healthy People, Strong Community
