Health
Unwrap theGift of Home Food Safety
Chad Collins,B,Sc., R.D.
It's time to relish theflavors of your favorite holiday meal. But before you serve itto your family and friends make sure these tips are on your holiday"to do" list.
Wash Hands Often: Everyoneloves to help with the cooking during the holidays, but too manywell-intended chefs can mean an increased risk of food-borne illness.Also, wash hands often and thoroughly in warm, soapy water before,during, and after meal preparation.
Keep Raw Meats and Ready-to-EatFoods Separate: Deck your kitchen with two festively colored cuttingboards: one strictly for raw meats and the other for ready-to-eatfoods. When juices from raw meats or germs from unclean objectsaccidentally touch cooked or ready-to-eat foods (such as fruitsor salads), cross-contamination can occur.
Cook to Proper Temperatures:Take the guesswork out of cooking your bird or roast by usinga meat thermometer. Harmful bacteria are destroyed when food iscooked to proper temperatures. A meat thermometer is the onlyreliable way to check the doneness of cooked foods.
Refrigerate Promptly below40 Degrees F: Before you relax and savor the success of your wintertimespread, refrigerate perishable foods quickly and store them atthe proper temperature to slow bacteria growth and prevent food-borneillness. Leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours afterbeing served. Also, make sure your refrigerator is set at 40 degreesF or below.
Holiday meals often bringleftovers; follow these tips to make sure you don't get sick thesecond time around. Separate leftovers into shallow containers(2 inches or less). Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within twohours of cooking the food.
Remove turkey from the boneand store it separately from the stuffing and gravy, sliced breastmeat; legs and wings may be left whole. Use turkey and stuffingwithin 3-4 days and gravy within 1-2 days. Reheat leftovers to165 degrees F and when in doubt, throw it out!
If thawing your turkey,here are a few simple suggestions to ease any anxiety. Defrostthe wrapped turkey on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Toprevent juices from dripping on other foods, place the turkeyon a tray. Allow at least one day of thawing for every four pounds.Or, if short on time, submerge the wrapped turkey in cold waterand cover. Change the water every 30 minutes to keep cold. Ittakes a minimum of 30 minutes per pound to thaw a whole turkey.Wash hands, work surfaces, and utensils touched by raw poultryand its juices with hot, soapy water before going on to your nexttask.
When cooking your turkey,use a meat thermometer properly. For whole turkeys, insert thethermometer in the inner thigh area near the breast, but not touchingbone.
Avoid eating foods containingraw eggs like cookie dough or cake batter. Raw eggs may containharmful bacteria. Make sure you drink only eggnog made from pasteurizedeggs or a 160 degree F heated egg-milk mixture. Always wash handsand work areas with warm, soapy water before and after handlingraw eggs.
Following these tips willhelp ensure a happy holiday without food related illness.
Chad Collins
Nutrix Ltd.