Food-safety tips for the holidays

With the holidays around the corner, food is an important element during the festivities. If you’re preparing for a big holiday meal, make sure to take safety precautions in order to avoid food-borne illness.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every six Americans gets sick from food poisoning each year. Abide by the following four steps to keep your family safe from food-related illnesses this holiday season:

CLEAN

Before handling food, always wash your hands first. Wash with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds, and remove dirt from nails. Clean all surfaces that will come in contact with food with hot soapy water, including countertops, sinks, cutting boards, utensils and dishes.

Remember to clean fruit and vegetables under cool water before eating. If needed, use a produce brush to remove surface dirt. Refrain from rinsing raw meat before cooking. This could lead to the spread of bacteria in your sink and other kitchen surfaces.

SEPARATE

When shopping, preparing meals and storing food in the refrigerator, separate items that will not be cooked away from raw eggs, meat, poultry and seafood. This will help prevent cross contamination.

Also, consider using different cutting boards. Utilize a cutting board for uncooked foods, such as vegetables, and another cutting board for meat and poultry. Do not put cooked food on a surface that was contaminated by raw meat, eggs, poultry and seafood.

COOK

It’s important to use a food-grade thermometer when preparing meat, poultry and seafood. The food should be cooked to a safe internal temperature:

• When preparing turkey, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, wing and breast. Turkey is ready when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
• Dishes with ground meat and eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees.
• Beef, pork lamb, veal and fish should be cooked to 145 degrees. The internal temperature of ham should be 140 degrees.
• The safe internal temperature when reheating food is 165 degrees.
• Bring sauces, soup and gravy to a boil when reheating.

When preparing homemade eggnog, use pasteurized eggs. This is especially important for pregnant or nursing mothers. Raw or unpasteurized milk and egg products can contain harmful germs. Pregnant women are 10 times more likely than others to get listeriosis, which is a food-borne infection caused by bacteria.

CHILL

As a rule of thumb, refrigerate leftovers within two hours. Harmful bacteria begins to grow when food is left at room temperature. Use leftovers within three to four days. If leftovers are frozen, mark the date before storing.

The refrigerator should be set at or below 40 degrees and the freezer at 0 degrees. Check the temperature with an appliance thermometer periodically. If the food looks or smells uncertain, do not eat. Remember: when in doubt, throw it out.

When thawing food do so in the refrigerator, under cold running water or in the microwave with the defrost setting. When defrosting in the microwave, food should be cooked immediately after. Never thaw food at room temperature or under hot water. It’s important to plan ahead in order to properly thaw your food during the holiday season. A 20-pound turkey should take about four to five days to thaw completely in the refrigerator.

For additional food safety tips, how to safety order food through the mail and how to cook a turkey for the holiday season, go to http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs260.

Mia Wilchcombe is the Family and Consumer Science Agent for the UF/IFAS Lake County Extension Center.