In the U.S. alone, there are over 48 million cases of foodborne illness reported every year. Many of these cases are mild, but around 3,000 of them are fatal. As we head into the holiday season, I’m sure we’re all looking forward to enjoying delicious meals with family and friends. One important consideration to keep in mind is how to enjoy these meals and maintain proper food safety to avoid risk of illness and disease. This week, lets discuss some food safety practices to follow to help keep yourself and your family safe this holiday season.
First, keep foods separated. When you purchase meat and dairy products like turkey, chicken, seafood, beef, and eggs, keep them in leak-proof containers or bags. Meat and dairy products can have surface bacteria that is not harmful when these products are properly cooked, but can contaminate items in the fridge if they are not stored correctly. Be sure to cook these products to a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees for poultry and leftovers, 160 degrees for ground meat and eggs, and 145 degrees for steaks, roasts, chops, and fish. When cooked to the proper temperature, bacteria present on or in these products are killed and no longer harmful.
Next, keep food out of the “danger zone”. Bacteria can grow rapidly when kept in temperatures between 40-140 degrees. It’s important to keep hot food hot- over 140 degrees, and cold food cold- under 40 degrees. Once food is cooked, it can be left at room temperature for up to two hours before you need to refrigerate or freeze it. If the room temperature is over 90 degrees, you should store food within one hour. This is a great time of year to make sure your fridge is set at or below 40 degrees and your freezer is set below 0 degrees.
Another consideration for this time of year is to thaw meat safely. There are three ways to effectively thaw meat- in the refrigerator, in a sink of cold water (with water changes every 30 minutes), or in the microwave. Meat should never be thawed on the counter as this can encourage the growth of potentially harmful bacteria. The USDA preferred method for thawing meat is in the refrigerator, with one day for each 4-5 pounds of weight. For example, if thawing a turkey, a 15lb bird should take approximately 3-4 days to thaw in the fridge. It’s also important that you do not wash your meat in the sink. When you wash meat in the sink, microscopic water droplets can carry bacteria from the meat into other parts of your kitchen and may cause illness or disease.
Finally, follow good hygiene in the kitchen. Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water regularly, including before, during, and after preparing food. It’s particularly important that you wash your hands after handling uncooked meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood. Keep your food preparation areas clean by washing utensils, cutting boards, and countertops with hot, soapy water before and after your food prep.
We at Lincoln County UGA Extension hope you have the best holiday season with those you love. Let us know if you have any food safety questions by calling 706-359-3233 or emailing uge3181@uga.edu.