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Each year, hundreds of people
in Washington become ill and some are hospitalized because the food
they ate at a holiday meal was handled or prepared in an unsafe way.
Please follow these food safety tips to protect yourself, your
family, your friends and others.
Don't serve a foodborne disease
this holiday.
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Buying and Preparing Food
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Keep raw meats separate
from other foods, especially fruit and
vegetables in your shopping cart and grocery bags. Raw meats that are
wrapped for display often leak. Put meat into a plastic bag to prevent
drips that may contaminate other food.
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Always
wash hands
before you begin to prepare food and after handling
raw meats. Use warm water, soap and paper towels. Remember that hands
that look clean may be contaminated with millions of germs. Inadequate hand washing is a leading cause of foodborne disease today!
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Keep your kitchen and utensils clean. Wash cutting boards, knives and
countertops that come into contact with raw meat.
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Do not re-use wash
cloths after wiping countertops, especially after cleaning up raw meat
juice.
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Thaw meat (turkey) in the
refrigerator. Frozen meat is
easy to undercook.
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Cook food to safe temperatures.
Use a food thermometer to check.
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Turkey, chicken and poultry (including stuffing, pieces and ground) –
165 degrees F. (minimum)
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Pork – 160 degrees F. (minimum)
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Ground beef or hamburger dishes – 160 degrees F. (minimum)
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All other meat products – 145 degrees F. (minimum)
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Refrigerate foods right away. Do not leave food on the counter to
“cool down.” Cut or divide solid food (turkey) into small pieces and
cool in containers without lids in the refrigerator. Wait until the food is cold, below 45 degrees F. before you put on the
lid.
Serving Food
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Refrigerate, reheat or throw away
perishable food after two hours
at room temperature. Keep track.
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Think small. Arrange and serve food on several small
plates instead of one large one. Keep the rest of the food either hot or
cold.
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Keep hot foods hot - above 140 degrees F. Use warming trays, or
pots, if possible.
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Keep cold foods cold -
below 41 degrees F. Nest dishes in bowls of ice,
if possible.
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Don't serve raw eggs
mixed into drinks or food.
Storing Food
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