NORTH CAROLINA — If you are planning on cooking a holiday feast this season, the United States Department of Agriculture has a message for you: Spread Holiday Cheer, Not Foodborne Illnesses.
For those who have never had the pleasure of working in a commercial kitchen or had to take food safety courses, the importance of maintaining a clean kitchen and preventing cross-contamination might be unknown.
“A recent study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and North Carolina State University found that Americans are practicing some disturbing food handling behaviors when it comes to preparing food at home. The study found that in the control group, 66 percent of participants did not use a thermometer to check the temperature of the ground turkey burgers. Even when participants did use a food thermometer, only 54 percent of turkey burgers reached the safe internal cooking temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit,” according to a press release.
There are steps the USDA is encouraging people to take to ensure food safety this holiday season:
- Clean your hands thoroughly for a full 20 seconds with soapy water. Always serve food on clean plates and avoid reusing plates that previously held raw meat and poultry.
- Separate raw meat, poultry and egg products from ready-to-eat foods.
- Cook, using a food thermometer to make sure food reaches a safe minimum internal temperature:
- Beef, pork, lamb and veal (steaks, chops and roasts): 145°F with a three-minute rest.
- Ground beef, pork, lamb and veal: 160°F.
- Poultry (whole or ground): 165°F.
- Chill leftovers within two hours of cooking. Keep track of how long items have been sitting on the buffet table and discard anything that has been out longer than two hours.
It is also important to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold to prevent bacteria or other
“If you are transporting food items to a holiday party, keep hot foods hot (140 degrees Fahrenheit or above) and cold foods cold (40 degrees Fahrenheit or below). Use separate, insulated containers for hot and cold foods, and make sure that cold foods are packed with cold sources, such as ice or frozen gel packs. The best way to ensure that food is being held at a safe temperature while you are traveling is to place an appliance thermometer in the cooler,” according to the release.
