A lot of home cooking will take place between now and the new year. So, here’s a timely reminder about safely preparing and serving those festive holiday meals from registered dietician Isabel Maples, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
“You want to wash your hands for 20 seconds [before you start cooking], and do it often as you are cooking, especially when you switch tasks like handling raw foods like meat and then cooked foods,” Maples said.
One of the biggest risk factors is cross-contamination –when bacteria from meat or poultry gets spread to foods that won’t be cooked, such as salad ingredients.
“Use separate cutting boards, utensils and knives when you’re cutting up vegetables, when you’re prepping raw meats, and serving readymade foods,” she explained.
It’s very important to get food to the right temperature to kill bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Beef should be at least 145 degrees. Poultry at least 165 degrees. Use a meat thermometer to make sure it’s right.
Perishable foods need to get into the fridge within two hours.
“From the time the food comes out to serve from the refrigerator or the oven until the time you finish eating and get that food back in the refrigerator should be no more than two hours,” Maples said.
When in doubt, throw it out.”
More Info:
Mega Meals — Food Safety in Five Steps
9 Ways to Deal with Dietary Restrictions at Holiday Meals