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Holidays can be stressful–and we’re not even talking about Black Friday. There’s traffic, bad weather, delayed flights, must-have toys, and food. Lots and lots of wonderful food. Whether you’re preparing a meal for your entire extended family or wondering about the veggie dip in the break room, almost everyone will be confronted with a food safety situation this holiday season.
Never fear! StateFoodSafety.com™ is here for you! Ok, maybe we can’t be there to make sure your ham is glazed to perfection or your casseroles achieve a perfectly crispy corn-flake crust, but we can make sure you’re not blamed for the Great Family Salmonella Scare of ‘09. We’ve put together our Top 5 Holiday Food Safety Laws to make sure your holiday parties go off without a hitch (at least when it comes to the food).
TOP 5 HOLIDAY FOOD SAFETY LAWS:
- COOK THOROUGHLY. You may think this sounds like a no-brainer, but undercooked meats can be attributed to thousands of cases of foodborne illness every year. Cooking times and temperatures can vary depending on the type of meat you’re preparing so make sure you’re equipped with a handy meat thermometer (available at any kitchen goods store) and a cooking temperature guide. Maybe something like this. Your family and friends will thank you.
- WASH YOUR HANDS. The holidays are a time of friends and family–and that means hand shaking, hugging, kissing, and all manner of affectionate germ spreading. Make sure that once you’ve greeted your guests or coworkers, you head straight to the sink to wash up before attempting to consume or prepare food. Use anti-bacterial soap and warm running water for a minimum of 20 seconds to destroy any diseases or bacteria that may be present on your skin. Make sure to clean the commonly-missed areas like under the nails, between the fingers, and the back of the hands. You may want to consider a bottle of hand sanitizer by the buffet table for the others as well.
- KEEP HOT FOODS HOT. KEEP COLD FOODS COLD. Ok this is technically two laws, but the concept is the same. Bacteria, just like humans, prefer to party at room temperature or warmer. To keep them from multiplying and making your loved ones sick, your cold foods need to stay cold and yes, your hot foods need to stay hot. By “cold” we mean 41◦ or colder and “hot” means 135◦or warmer. We don’t expect you to go out and buy buffet equipment for your family party, but some common sense planning can keep you off the naughty list. Hold meat, gravies, and casseroles in the oven until they’re ready to be served. Keep dips, sliced fruit, and the cheese ball in the fridge until your guests arrive. Once they’ve sat out for two hours they need to go in the trash. Sorry. But that’s the rule. Pack up your leftovers before the two hour mark and you’ll be good to go.
- NEVER THAW AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. Sure, it might seem like a good idea . . . but it’s not. Remember, bacteria is always there, waiting for you to move it somewhere warm where it can multiply. Here are your options: thawing in the refrigerator (41◦ or colder), thawing in cool water, thawing in the microwave. If you became over-excited at the supermarket and grabbed the largest turkey you could find, you might be surprised how long it can take to thaw that baby safely. Here’s a great resource from the USDA that breaks thaw times down by method and size: Let’s Talk Turkey. This law also applies to your hams, lamb, roast, chicken, and any other frozen meat. Oh, and one more thing. If you choose to thaw in the refrigerator, always put the meat on the bottom shelf just in case it drips. This will prevent cross-contamination to your other ready-to-eat foods.
- STAY HOME IF YOU’RE SICK. If you’re showing signs of flu symptoms (headache, fever, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, etc.) just stay home. It’s never fun to miss out on holiday food and festivity but trust us, your disease is one gift your loved ones definitely don’t want to receive.
We hope these 5 Food Safety Laws can give you the information you need to enjoy a happy and safe holiday season. Best wishes from StateFoodSafety.com™!
Don’t forget to check back for more tips and treats!