During holiday season, the Department of Health encourages everyone to practice important food safety measures when preparing meals.
- When is cooked food safe for eating?
- Safe food handling & preparation tips
- Why it’s important
- More tips & information
You must cook foods to the following temperatures to kill germs:
- Turkey, Chicken, Duck
Whole, Pieces & Ground: 165º F
- Beef, Veal, Lamb, Steaks & Roasts: 145º F
- Ground Beef, Veal, Lamb: 160º F
- Fish & Seafood: 145º F
- Pork: 160º F
- Egg Dishes: 160º F
Place a thermometer in the thickest part of the meat and/or in the center of the food and stuffing to get a true reading.
- Wash hands before and after preparing food
- Separate - don't cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat and poultry apart from cooked foods.
- Wash hands, utensils, and kitchen surfaces with hot soapy water after they touch raw meat or poultry.
- Give your turkey ample time to defrost: refrigerator – 24 hours per 5 lbs of bird; cold water bath – 30 minutes per 1 lb of bird.
- Buy a fresh turkey (not frozen) one day before cooking.
- Stuffing should be moist and the turkey should be cooked immediately after stuffing.
- Cook turkey until a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat and/or in the center of the food and stuffing reads: 165°F (Do not let thermometer touch bones when reading temperature).
- Keep hot foods at 140°F or above (using chafing dishes or hot plates) and cold food at 40°F or below (using ice).
- Eat cooked food promptly and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours after cooking. (Discard any turkey, stuffing, and gravy left out at room temperature longer than 2 hours).
- Refrigerate or freeze food in shallow storage containers for quicker cooling.
- Refrigerated turkey should be eaten within 3-4 days; gravy, stuffing and other sides within 1-2 days; and frozen leftovers within one month.
- Reheat leftovers to 165°F (should be hot and steaming).
- Every year, millions of people get sick with foodborne illness.
- Foodborne illness can resemble the flu, and many people don't link their illness to something they ate.
- It is not always the last thing you ate that makes you ill. You can become sick anytime from 20 minutes to six weeks after eating contaminated food.
- Infants and young children, pregnant women, and older adults are at greatest risk for foodborne illness.
- While commercially prepared foods have been the cause of many outbreaks of foodborne illness, improper food preparation at home can also easily lead to illness.