Holiday Food Safety Tips
When I was younger, my friend’s Christmas dinner was marred by food borne illness. I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say that severe discomfort descended on everyone in the household within hours after finishing the meal.
Obviously, I have never forgotten that episode, and I am sure many of his relatives haven’t, either. Preventing your guests from getting sick from food may not be the first thing on your mind as you rush to prepare entire feasts and sweet treats, but remember: food safety should never take a holiday.
These simple hints will help you to keep food safe now, and all year.
Keep your hands clean. Before you handle any holiday food, wash your hands with hot water and soap, lathering up for at least 20 seconds. Repeat the process if you have performed any duty that may have transferred germs to your hands, liking blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing, touching a pet, and handling dirty laundry.
Keep cold foods cold, and hot foods hot. Make sure your refrigerator temperature registers at 40˚ F or below and that your freezer is at 0˚F. When traveling more than a half hour to a holiday gathering, transport cold foods in a cooler packed with ice, then promptly refrigerate when you arrive at your destination. Keep hot foods wrapped tightly, and reheat to 165˚ F before eating.
Cook it right. Cooking destroys harmful germs, but only when the food has been heated to the proper temperature. Have a reliable meat thermometer on hand and cook and reheat foods properly. Cook turkeys, stuffing, side dishes, and all leftovers to at least 165˚ F.
Don’t be a turkey about defrosting. Defrost meat in the refrigerator, and never on the countertop. Why? Bacteria that may be present in the food will quickly begin to reproduce under the warm conditions. Give yourself plenty of time to defrost a frozen turkey – about a day for every five pounds worth of bird, or three days for a 15-pound gobbler.
Protect with pasteurization. Pasteurization kills most germs in foods such as apple cider, eggnog, and soft cheeses like Brie and feta. Check the label to see if a product has been pasteurized or prepared with pasteurized ingredients. Older people, young children, pregnant women, and anyone with a compromised immune system are especially vulnerable to the effects of foodborne illness caused by unpasteurized foods.
When in doubt, throw it out. When you leave holiday foods to linger, you’re inviting trouble. Bacteria love warmth, and they grow with wild abandon at room temperature. Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food, and leftovers within two hours of preparing, and discard food that’s been left out at room temperature (70˚ F) for longer than two hours.
Have a happy and safe holiday!
Liz Ward