A holiday meal can be challenging to prepare
because there are many foods being cooked at
different times and temperatures.
It's easy to forget that food safety is the most
important ingredient.
Four simple steps can help ensure that harmful
bacteria won't be a guest at your festivities.
- Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill.
Clean.
Start with clean hands,
cutting boards and utensils.
Dirty hands and surfaces can spread bacteria
throughout the kitchen.
Always wash your hands with warm water and soap
for 20 seconds before and after handling food.
Clean your cutting boards, knives,
and countertops with hot water and soap after
preparing foods.
Separate.
Using the same cutting board for all foods can
spread bacteria.
Use separate cutting boards for fresh produce
and for raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs.
Keep raw meat or poultry away from raw vegetables
and other foods that won't be cooked.
And don't put cooked food on platters that held raw
meat or let cooked food come in contact with raw
meat, poultry or their juices,
because the juices may contain harmful bacteria.
Cook.
Keep in mind that you can't tell it's done
by how it looks!
Cooking to the safe temperature kills harmful
bacteria.
A basic for preparing any meat, poultry,
casserole or side dish is a food thermometer!
If you use a food thermometer you will know
when your food is safe, and you won't overcook it
or undercook it!
Find a chart of safe cooking temperatures at
holidayfoodsafety.org
Chill.
Make sure leftovers
get put in the refrigerator within two
hours of the meal - that includes your leftover
pumpkin pie!
Keep your fridge at a safe 40 degrees F.
or below.
And remember to use or freeze leftovers within
3-4 days.
This holiday season, we want everyone to be food
safe!
This message is brought to you by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services
