New York’s Staten Island. The most popular dish at Thanksgiving is turkey, but it must be prepared correctly to prevent foodborne illness, which is always an unwanted guest at holiday parties.
From the grocery shop to the dinner table, food handling is crucial during the Thanksgiving season, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Emilio Esteban said, “We’re reminding consumers to follow safe food handling practices starting at the grocery store and going all the way through enjoying your leftovers on the most popular food holiday of the year.”
This USDA guide can help you keep your Thanksgiving food safe.
Shopping
If perishables, such as turkey, are kept in the Danger Zone (temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees) for an extended period of time, bacteria can grow to hazardous proportions.
To keep your turkey and other perishables as cold as possible, pick them up at the end of your supermarket shopping trip. If your commute takes more than an hour, put perishables in insulated bags with cold sources and put them in the refrigerator as soon as you arrive home.
Verify that your turkey’s packaging isn’t ripped or leaking. Raw poultry juices have the potential to cross-contaminate with dangerous bacteria, which can make you ill. To stop dangerous bacteria from spreading, place turkey and other raw meat products in plastic bags and in a different section of your shopping cart.
Thawing
You can safely thaw a frozen turkey in cold water or in the refrigerator.
For every 4 to 5 pounds, defrost in a refrigerator at 40 degrees or lower, about 24 hours. To confine any potentially leaking juices, think about placing the turkey in a plate or container.
In cold water, defrost for about 30 minutes per pound. Until the turkey is completely thawed, immerse it in cold water and replace the water every half an hour. Cook the turkey right away when it has thawed.
Preparing
Remember that the turkey may have bacteria that might lead to foodborne illness when it comes time to prepare it. Surfaces that come into contact with the turkey and its fluids should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, and the turkey and its juices should be kept apart from meals that won’t be cooked.
About 30% of customers failed to properly clean and sanitize kitchen surfaces near food preparation, according to a USDA survey.
Washing a turkey poses a concern since it can transfer bacteria to neighboring surfaces, including your sink. If you decide to wash it, be sure to thoroughly clean all surfaces with soap and water before sanitizing with a solution.
Cooking
There are numerous ways to cook a turkey, but one thing always stays the same: the thickest section of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh, and the innermost part of the wing must all reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees, as determined by a food thermometer.
Even if the turkey has a pop-up temperature indicator, always check its doneness with a thermometer. When stuffing a turkey, the center of the stuffing must also achieve 165 degrees.
Serving
Keep the two-hour guideline in mind when serving food to groups. Due to bacterial development, perishable goods that have been left out at room temperature for longer than two hours should be thrown out.
Keep your cold food cold and your hot food hot while serving. This will stop dangerous microorganisms. Turkey, macaroni and cheese, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and other hot items need to be kept at or above 140 degrees. You can achieve this by serving them in slow cookers, chafing dishes, warming trays, etc.
You can serve cold dishes like salad, cranberry relish, deviled eggs, and cold dips in bowls or trays set over ice to keep them below 40 degrees. When the ice melts, don’t forget to refill it. Separating cold meals into little parts and serving them one at a time while storing the rest in the refrigerator is another way to serve them.
Leftovers
For many of us, one of the best things about Thanksgiving is the leftovers. Leftovers must be stored in the refrigerator within two hours of serving, or they must be kept hot (140 degrees or higher) or cold (40 degrees or lower) to ensure their safety.
Foodborne illness-causing bacteria may have grown to harmful levels in items that were left out at room temperature for longer than two hours.
To ensure that the meat cools quickly and evenly, cut any remaining turkey into tiny pieces and put them in small shallow containers.
You can reach a food safety specialist in English or Spanish by calling the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854), sending an email to [email protected], or using the live chat feature at www.ask.usda.gov from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
On Thanksgiving Day, the Meat and Poultry Hotline is available from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
+ There are no comments
Add yours