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Don’t Invite Foodborne Illness to Your Thanksgiving Meal
(Santa Ana) – As the countdown to the Thanksgiving holiday begins, consumers are stocking up on traditional foods certain to make the holiday meal something special. While popular Thanksgiving items such as poultry, dressings and gravy are delicious holiday standards, they are also foods in which bacteria may thrive.
“Preparing special holiday foods and sharing them with family and friends is an important part of the Thanksgiving tradition. Taking a few simple precautionary steps will help keep food borne illness from ruining your holiday celebration,” said Dr. Eric Handler, County Health Officer.
Bacteria such as Salmonella, Campylobacter and E. coli are the primary causes of foodborne illness in the United States. These types of bacteria grow rapidly on foods that are moist, rich in protein and held at temperatures between 41 degrees Fahrenheit and 135 degrees Fahrenheit.
To keep bacteria and foodborne illness away from your holiday table, follow these simple food preparation guidelines:
- Thaw frozen turkey inside the refrigerator on the bottom shelf in its original wrapping. Make sure that other foods are above the thawing turkey to prevent contamination. Thawing a moderate sized turkey in this manner may take one to three days. If time does not permit a gradual thaw, place the frozen unwrapped turkey in a clean shallow container and allow cool running water to flow across the surface with sufficient velocity to flush loose particles down the drain.
- Wash your hands, utensils, cutting boards and other items that have been in contact with the raw meat or poultry with soap and hot water to prevent contaminating other foods or re-contaminating the cooked turkey.
- Set the oven temperature at 325 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure the meat and poultry are cooked all the way through. Place the thermometer into the thickest section of meat or poultry.
- Cook the whole turkey to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The recommended cooking time for your turkey can be obtained from instructions on the poultry wrapper, a cookbook or you can call the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Hotline at (888) 674-6854.
- Don’t let the turkey, dressing or gravy sit at room temperature for more than two hours. These foods are particularly high in protein and moisture and should be kept above 135 degrees Fahrenheit or below 41 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. Promptly refrigerate or freeze leftovers in covered shallow containers.
- Use leftovers within 4 days, except stuffing and gravy which should be used within 2 days. Reheat leftovers to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit prior to serving.
The Orange County Health Care Agency’s Food Protection program participates in the inspection of retail and wholesale food facilities to prevent foodborne illness. It also promotes the safe and sanitary preparation and service of foods. For more information about the program or to obtain guidelines for safe food preparation call (714) 433-6000 or visit www.ocfoodinfo.com.
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