In the Kitchen: Serve a safe holiday feast

By Matt Weafer
Messenger-Inquirer Special Publications

Holidays create moments that families will remember for years. With family piled in the house, presents to wrap, babies to pass around and eggnog to drink, the easiest opportunity to create unpleasant memories lies in kitchen. The potential for food poisoning should never be neglected.

But holiday distractions make it easy to do so. This year—and every year after this—follow these guidelines to ensure a safe and sanitary holiday feast.

Clean as you go.
The first step in preventing E. coli and salmonella poisoning, among many others, lies in cleanliness. Always wash hands with hot, soapy water before handling foods.

Wash hands throughout the cooking process as well after handling raw meats or items that have come in contact with raw meat or any other potentially contaminated utensil.

Avoid cross contamination by using multiple cutting boards—one for meats and another for fruits, vegetables and cheeses. Always wash cutting boards, utensils and countertops in hot, soapy water after handling food. Sponges and towels are breeding grounds for harmful pathogens. Replace them frequently with freshly washed towels and new sponges.

Over time, cutting boards may develop deep grooves, scratches or cuts where bacteria may be present.

Keep meat up to temperature.
After safely thawing meat in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave—never on the counter—monitor the temperature of the meat regularly.

Pathogens run amuck in all factory farms and slaughterhouses and the only definite way to serve safe meat is reaching an appropriate temperature to kill certain bacteria.

Keep a food thermometer handy in monitoring temperature. Since turkey contains both dark and white meat, temperature must be taken in both the thigh and the breast. Dark meat takes longer to cook thoroughly.

Turkey must reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the turkey stand 20 minutes before serving. When cooking stuffing inside the turkey, place turkey in the oven immediately after stuffing. Do not buy pre-stuffed turkeys. Stuffing must also reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit when cooked inside turkey.

Fresh ham must be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Roast beef and steaks may be safely cooked to medium rare at 145 degrees Fahrenheit, 160 for medium and 170 for well done. Raw beef should be refrigerated at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and cooked or frozen by "use by" date.

Left over marinades must be boiled before contacting cooked beef. Beef may marinate in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Always wash the thermometer after each use and wash any areas with hot soapy water that raw meat or juice from the raw meat may have contacted.

Serve food safely.
In a buffet-style dinner, hot foods must be kept above 140 degrees Fahrenheit and cold foods should be kept under 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Perishable food should not be left out for more than two hours.

Drinks can be harmful as well.
Unpasteurized apple cider and eggnog can contain harmful pathogens if served under 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Apple cider and eggnog sold in groceries are usually pasteurized, but homemade eggnog may contain salmonella from the raw eggs, and apple cider can carry dangerous bacteria. When making home-made eggnog use pasteurized egg products or gradually heat the eggnog to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat cider as well.

Last but not least—storing (and reheating) leftovers.
Even—and especially—when storing foods, safety is key. Store warm foods in shallow containers in the fridge immediately after use. Do not let them cool uncovered on the counter. To avoid cross-contamination, cover all prepared foods. Turkey should be carved off the bone and separated from gravy and stuffing.

Also avoid overloading the fridge to allow circulation of cold air. Be cautious of the containers used to store foods. Some plastics contain chemicals that may seep into food, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic wrap. Wraps such as Glad Cling Wrap are safe. Similarly, when reheating use microwave-safe containers.

Eat turkey leftovers within four days and stuffing and gravy within two.

For more information on food safety visit foodsafety.gov.

As printed in the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer Dec. 22, 2007.