Released by Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services …
Serving Safety for the Holidays
Holiday planning is kicking in to high gear. Friends and families will soon be gathering to enjoy their favorite dishes that include everything from cornbread dressing and pumpkin pie to that special congealed salad made from Aunt Bethany’s secret recipe. To keep your holiday meal memorable for all the right reasons, food safety should be at the top of the planning list.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends following these simple tips to avoid foodborne illness during the holidays.
- Wash your hands with soap and water at these key times when you are likely to get and spread germs:
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- After touching raw meat, raw eggs, or unwashed vegetables
- Before eating or drinking
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After using the toilet
- After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
- After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
- After touching garbage.
- Wash surfaces and utensils after each use. Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with hot, soapy water especially after they’ve held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs. Wash dish cloths often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.
- Wash fruits and vegetables, but not meat, poultry, or store-bought eggs.
- Cut away any damaged or bruised areas, then rinse fruits and vegetables under running water without soap, bleach, or commercial produce washes.
- Scrub firm produce like melons or cucumbers with a clean produce brush.
- Dry produce with a paper towel or clean cloth towel.
- Don’t wash meat, poultry, eggs, or bagged produce marked “pre-washed”.
- Cook food thoroughly. Meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can carry germs that cause food poisoning. Use a food thermometer to ensure these foods have been cooked to the safe minimum internal temperature. Roasts, chops, steaks and fresh ham should rest for 3 minutes after removing from the oven or grill.
- Keep food out of the danger zone. Bacteria can grow rapidly at room temperature. After food is cooked, keep hot food hot and cold food cold. Refrigerate or freeze any perishable food within 2 hours. The temperature in your refrigerator should be set at or below 40°F and the freezer at or below 0°F.
- Use pasteurized eggs for dishes containing raw eggs. Salmonella and other harmful germs can live on both the outside and inside of normal-looking eggs. Many holiday favorites contain raw eggs, including eggnog, tiramisu, hollandaise sauce, and Caesar dressing. Always use pasteurized eggs when making these and other foods made with raw eggs.
- Do not eat dough or batter. Dough and batter made with flour or eggs can contain harmful germs, such as E. coli and Salmonella. Do not taste or eat unpasteurized dough or batter of any kind, including those for cookies, cakes, pies, biscuits, pancakes, tortillas, pizza, or crafts. Do not let children taste raw dough or batter or play with dough at home or in restaurants.
- Keep foods separated. Keep meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from all other foods at the grocery and in the refrigerator. Prevent juices from meat, poultry, and seafood from dripping or leaking onto other foods by keeping them in containers or sealed plastic bags. Store eggs in their original carton in the main compartment of the refrigerator.
- Safely thaw frozen meat. Thaw meat in the in the refrigerator, in a sink of cold water that is changed every 30 minutes, or in the microwave. Avoid thawing foods on the counter. Frozen meat must thaw at a safe temperature to prevent harmful germs from growing rapidly.
For more information on food safety and foodborne illnesses, visit FoodSafety.gov.