How to avoid food poisoning over Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends and food. Unfortunately, with all the feasting, it can also be a time for increased risk of food poisoning. Below are some simple tips to help reduce the chances of foodborne illness becoming part of your celebration.

Wash your hands before you start preparing any food and again after you’ve touched any raw meat or eggs. To get rid of bacteria, it is important to use warm water, soap and scrub vigorously for at least 20 seconds. If you are serving your dishes family-style, ask guests to wash their hands before sitting down to enjoy the meal.

Handle raw meat and eggs with extra care. Turkey is the most likely culprit of foodborne illness at your Thanksgiving table. Keep uncooked meat and eggs separated from other foods, particularly fresh produce. This starts when you are thawing your turkey in your refrigerator. Make sure the turkey is in a container, so its juices don’t leak. Raw turkey can easily spread bacteria to your hands, utensils and countertops. Frequently sanitizing surfaces where meat is being prepared and ensuring you use dedicated cutting boards and utensils for raw meat will help reduce the chances of cross-contamination. As a rule of thumb, anything used for raw meat needs to be washed thoroughly before it touches any cooked foods.

Use a thermometer to make sure your dishes are truly done. As much as we want to think we can tell if food is ready, color and texture do not determine doneness or whether something is safe to eat. The only guaranteed way to tell is by using a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the food. Poultry and casseroles should be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, beef and seafood to 145 degrees and egg dishes to 160 degrees. It’s best to avoid relying on internal pop-up thermometers that are sometimes included with turkeys because they are more prone to malfunction.

Be thoughtful about serving your meal. Make sure every dish has its own dedicated serving utensil and do your best to avoid letting guests serve themselves with forks or spoons they’ve already eaten from. It is also important to limit the amount of time food is left on the table. When food sits at room temperature and starts to cool down or heat up, it can enter what the USDA refers to as the danger zone. Bacteria grows most rapidly between 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, doubling almost every 20 minutes. Avoid this range by covering hot dishes to keep them warm and serving cold food on ice, if possible.

Chill all leftovers as quickly as possible. As soon as you are done eating, pack up leftovers and get them in the fridge. This will help food stay out of the danger zone and make it safer for you to eat over the next several days. You want dishes to cool down rapidly in the fridge, so avoid overpacking containers. Food handling experts also encourage families to enjoy their leftovers within three to four days. If you know you have too much food to realistically consume within the window, consider freezing some to extend the window it is safe to eat.

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