Celebrate the Holiday Safely

Posted on November 17th, 2023
Celebrate Thanksgiving Safely GNR Public Health
The holidays are a wonderful time of year, filled with friends and family celebrations. Ensure your loved ones stay healthy throughout the holidays with these food safety guidelines:

Keep your hands, cooking area, and dishes clean! 

Washing your hands before and after handling food is crucial to keeping yourself healthy this holiday season. Make sure you also serve food on clean plates to avoid cross contamination from raw meat and poultry!

Use a thermometer to check temperatures!

Undercooked foods can cause illness. Pork and egg dishes should be cooked to 160°F. Ensure your chicken or turkey has a minimum internal temperature of 165°F.
Pro Tip: For chicken and turkey, check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh, wing, and thickest part of the breast.

Remember the two-hour rule!

Foods should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours. Keep track of how long foods have been sitting on the buffet table.

Keep hot foods HOT and cold foods COLD!

Hot foods should be held at 140°F or warmer. 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 or use small serving trays and replace them.

Store and reheat leftovers properly!

For leftover turkey, cut it into small pieces. Make sure to refrigerate stuffing and turkey separately in shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking. Don’t forget to use leftover turkey and stuffing within 3-4 days or freeze. Reheat food thoroughly to a temperature of 165°F or until hot and steaming.

Don’t forget! Stay home if you’re feeling sick to keep your loved ones healthy!

Do you have questions about this article?

We are here to help. Call 770-339-4260. Ask for the Epi on Call.

GNR Pubic Health keeps Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale Healthy. Protected. Prepared.

Download Five Happy & Healthy Thanksgiving Tips!

Food Safety Tips for a Safe Holiday
Source: United States Department of Agriculture