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Each year, hundreds of
people in Washington become ill and some are hospitalized
because food they ate at a holiday meal was handled or
prepared in an unsafe way. Follow these food safety tips to
protect you and your family. Don't serve up a foodborne
illness this holiday.
Buying and Preparing
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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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Don't
wash raw turkey or chicken. This could spread harmful bacteria
around your kitchen.
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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
a safe internal temperature. Use a food thermometer to check.
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Turkey, chicken, and
poultry (including stuffing, whole and ground meat: 165 degrees F.
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Whole cuts (such as roasts, steaks, chops) or beef, pork,
veal, and lamb:
145 degrees F. Allow meat to "rest" for 3 minutes before
cutting or eating.
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Ground beef,
pork, hamburger, or egg dishes: 160 degrees F.
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Fish: 145 degrees F.
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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
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Refrigerate, reheat, or throw away perishable food after 2 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
Related fact sheets:
Food Safety Tips and
Barbecue and Picnic Food Safety
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