With the holidays quickly approaching, the Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDHE) reminds Coloradans to follow simple food safety tips so holidays feasts do not turn into a holiday fiasco.
Maple Glazed Turkey Dinner Photo Courtesy of Guide to Elevate
CDHE Retail Food Program Coordinator Troy Huffman said, “The most frequent causes of foodborne illness are from foods kept at unsafe temperatures, inadequate hand washing, inappropriate food handling and preparing and serving foods on soiled services or with contaminated utensils.”
Huffman continued, “Other causes include cooking foods such as eggs, poultry and meats below the proper temperature. By following some simple food safety guidelines, holiday parties and meals will be safe and enjoyable for all.”
Some of these basic tips that Huffman is referring to include cooling all leftovers, washing hands, not cross contaminating, checking cooking temperatures, and thawing foods properly. Specifics to each one of these tips are as followed:
COOL ALL LEFTOVERS: Leftovers should be cooled to 41 degrees F or lower within four hours after cooking. Do not leave foods containing meat,
dairy, eggs, fish or poultry at room temperature. This includes casseroles and pumpkin or other custard pies that are popular during the
holidays.
WASH HANDS: Use soap and warm water before food preparation and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, sneezing, coughing, eating, drinking, or smoking. Also, wash hands after handling raw meat, eggs, fish, or poultry.
DON’T CROSS-CONTAMINATE: Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get onto cutting boards, knives, sponges and counter tops. Minimize cross-contamination risks by thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing knives, cutting boards, and other utensils, particularly between the preparation of raw meat and foods that will not be further cooked. Using a commercially prepared sanitizing wipe can be an easy and quick cleaning alternative to help minimize cross-contamination.
COOKING TEMPERATURES: Buy a cooking thermometer, and use it properly.The thermometer should be placed in the thickest part of the food and don’t let it touch bone, fat, or gristle. Turkey and stuffing should be cooked separately to 165 F and ham to 145 F before serving. Recipes with eggs must be cooked thoroughly to 155 F or above. If egg dishes do not require cooking, such as homemade eggnog or salad dressing, use pasteurized egg products instead of shelled eggs.
THAW FOODS PROPERLY: Do not thaw foods at room temperature. Plan enough time to thaw food in the refrigerator, placing thawing items on a tray to catch any juices that may leak from the packaging to avoid cross-contamination of other foods.
The number of days a frozen turkey takes to thaw in a refrigerator depends on the size. A turkey 4-12 pounds takes one to three days to thaw; 12-16 pounds takes three to four days; 16-20 pounds takes four to five days; and 20-24 pounds takes five to six days.
IF YOU’RE ILL: When you’re not feeling well, do not prepare or handle foods.
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