Amidst the holiday parties, music, merriment, and cheer, we need to consider the safety of the holiday food we are consuming or preparing. Don’t allow a foodborne illness risk ruining your holiday party by following these simple recommendations.
- Clean – Wash hands and surfaces often
- Separate foods – To prevent cross-contamination
- Cook – Cook and hold at proper temperature prior to serving
- Chill – Cool and refrigerate promptly
Here are some more detailed points courtesy of the USDA:
- Always wash your hands before and after handling food and keep your kitchen, dishes and utensils clean. Remember bacteria which may have been present in raw meat juices can cross contaminate the food to be served.
- Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming.
- Cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal to an internal temperature of 160 °F as measured with a food thermometer.
- Cook all poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer.
- Divide cooked foods into shallow containers to store in the refrigerator or freezer until serving to encourage rapid, even cooling. Reheat hot foods to 165 °F. Arrange and serve food on several small platters rather than on one large platter. Keep the rest of the food hot in the oven or cold in the refrigerator until serving time. Replace empty platters rather than adding fresh food to a dish that already had food in it. Foods should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours and discard food after this timeframe.
- Hot foods should be held at 140 °F or warmer. On the buffet table you can keep hot foods hot with chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays. Cold foods should be held at 40 °F or colder. Keep foods cold by nesting dishes in bowls of ice.
Foodborne bacteria to be cautious of:
Bacteria are everywhere but some like to crash parties. Unlike microorganisms that cause food to spoil, bacteria cannot be smelled or tasted typically.
If illness occurs, however, contact a health professional and describe the symptoms.
- Staphylococcus aureus (“staph”) bacteria are found on our skin, in infected cuts and pimples, and in our noses and throats. They are spread by improper food handling. To prevent illness wash hands and utensils before preparing and handling foods and do not let prepared foods (particularly cooked and cured meats and cheese and meat salads) sit at room temperature more than two hours. Thorough cooking destroys “staph” bacteria but some strains are resistant to heat, refrigeration and freezing.
- Clostridium perfringens is called the “cafeteria germ” because it may be found in foods served in quantity and left for long periods of time on inadequately maintained steam tables or at room temperature. Prevention is to divide large portions of cooked foods (particularly beef, turkey, gravy, dressing, stews and casseroles) into smaller portions for serving and cooling to maintain proper temperature requirements.
- Listeria monocytogenes bacteria multiply, although slowly, at refrigeration temperatures, these bacteria can be found in cold foods. To avoid serving foods containing Listeria, follow keep refrigerated directions and carefully observe “sell by” and “use by” dates on processed products. Also thoroughly reheat frozen or refrigerated processed meat and poultry products before consumption.
A few resources to help your holiday food flourish:
*Carol Carr is a student at the U.S. Military Dietetic Internship Consortium and Graduate Program in conjunction with the U.S. Army and Baylor University. Reviewed by Rayna Wooten, MS, RD, LD