Don’t let food-borne illness spoil your holiday season. The Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment is reminding the public to take special care when preparing food for the holidays.
Food-borne illness is most often caused by foods being kept at temperatures that allow bacteria to grow, and by food handlers who have not washed their hands and food preparation equipment sufficiently. The Department urges everyone to adhere to the following food safety tips so that your holiday meals are safely enjoyed.
To Make Sure Bacteria Are Not Allowed to Grow:
1. Use a thermometer. Be sure stuffing, turkey and any poultry dishes are cooked thoroughly to 165 degrees F; ground beef and ham must be cooked thoroughly to 155 degrees F. All other foods, including eggs should be cooked to 145 degrees F.
2. Do not leave foods containing meat, milk, eggs, fish or poultry at room temperature for more than four hours. This includes pudding and custard-type pies, that are popular during the holidays.
3. Cool all leftovers to 41 degrees F within four hours after cooking.
4. Do not thaw foods at room temperature. Plan ahead and thaw them in the refrigerator. If the food needs to be thawed quickly, use the microwave or cold running water and then cook promptly after thawed.
5. If you are traveling with food be sure to keep it cold 41 F. or hot 140 F. or above during transporting.
6. After the big meal, be sure to refrigerate any leftovers within 1 hour. Bacteria love room temperature and grow quickly in amounts enough to make us ill.
To Prevent Food From Becoming Contaminated:
1. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water before food preparation and after coughing, sneezing, using the toilet, changing diapers, eating and drinking and smoking.
2. Do not prepare or handle foods if you are ill. A cook’s gastrointestinal illness could be spread to others sharing the meal.
3. Thoroughly clean and sanitize knives, cutting boards and other utensils before and after preparing raw foods and foods that do not require further cooking. Sanitize with a solution of one tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water.
4. Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables.
Contrary to popular belief, if you do become ill from contaminated food, it is not always the last meal you ate that’s the culprit. Food-borne illness can occur anywhere from one hour to 72 hours and even longer after eating contaminated food. Please help make this holiday season safer by paying attention to proper food preparation and handling techniques.
For more information, please call Carla Opp, JCDHE Food Safety Program 303-271-5765 or visit http://health.jeffco.us.