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
- 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.
- 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!
- Keep your kitchen and utensils clean. Wash cutting boards, knives and countertops that come into contact with raw meat.
- Don't re-use wash cloths after wiping countertops, especially after cleaning up raw meat juice.
- Thaw frozen items, such as turkeys and roasts, in the refrigerator to keep germs from growing or spreading.
Cooking
- Cook food to a safe internal temperature. A large piece of meat, especially if it’s been frozen, is easy to undercook.
- Use a food thermometer to check.
- Turkey, chicken, and poultry (including stuffing, whole and ground meat: 165 degrees F.
- 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.
- Ground beef, pork, hamburger, or egg dishes: 160 degrees F.
- Fish: 145 degrees F.
Serving
- Refrigerate, reheat, or throw away perishable food after 2 hours at room temperature. Keep track.
- 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.
- Keep hot foods hot – above 140 degrees F. Use warming trays or pots, if possible.
- Keep cold foods cold – below 41 degrees F. Nest dishes in bowls of ice, if possible.
- Don't serve raw eggs mixed into drinks or food. Read more about safe egg handling, cooking and storing.
Leftovers
- Refrigerate foods right away. Don't leave food on the counter to "cool down." Cut or divide solid food like turkey into small pieces and cool in containers.
- Reheat all leftovers to at least 165 degrees F.
- Most leftovers stay safe in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freeze items you want to store for longer.
Traveling or Sharing Meals
- When traveling, try to take shelf-stable foods that don’t need temperature control.
- When transporting food, keep hot foods hot in insulated carriers and cold foods cold with ice packs or coolers.
- Go straight to your destination to keep food from sitting in unsafe temperatures.
Keeping All Guests Safe
- Older adults, young children, pregnant people, and those with weakened immune systems are more likely to get sick from unsafe food.
- Use pasteurized dairy and egg products for items like eggnog, custards, and homemade dressings.
- Keep ready-to-eat foods refrigerated until serving, especially deli meats, soft cheeses, and smoked seafood.
- Avoid serving raw or undercooked meats, poultry, eggs, or seafood to guests at increased risk of illness.
Holiday Food Safety Video
More Resources
Food Safety by Events and Seasons, FoodSafety.gov
Content Source: Food Safety Program