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The New York State health and agriculture departments offered up several tips to help keep family and friends safe from foodborne illness this holiday season.
“The Thanksgiving meal is often the most elaborate meal cooked all year, which could be a contributing factor in mistakes that could lead to foodborne illness,” said state Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald.
“We want to ensure that New Yorkers stay healthy by taking simple food safety precautions and encourage everyone preparing meals to follow this advice to keep your loved ones free from foodborne illness.”
Home chefs are encouraged to remember the following food safety tips:
Defrost properly
Use the refrigerator, the cold-water method, or the microwave to defrost a frozen turkey. Thawing food in the refrigerator is the safest method because the turkey will defrost at a consistent, safe temperature.
It will take 24 hours for every five pounds of weight for a turkey to thaw in the refrigerator.
To thaw in cold water, submerge the bird in its original wrapper in cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes.
Don’t wash the turkey
Washing the turkey can cause bacteria to spread up to three feet away, as the water is likely to splash onto clean counters, cutting boards, sink handles, etc.
Cooking your bird thoroughly to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees by baking, boiling, broiling, frying, or grilling will kill any bacteria on the turkey, making washing unnecessary.
A whole turkey should be checked with a food thermometer in three locations: the innermost part of the thigh, the innermost part of the wing, and the thickest part of the breast.
Keep work areas clean and don’t cross contaminate
Always wash hands, utensils, and cutting boards in hot, soapy water before preparing food and after handling raw meat.
Keep meat, chicken, turkey, seafood, and eggs separate from all other foods during preparation and while in storage.
Don't store food outside
Storing food outside is not food safe. Animals, both wild and domesticated, can get into food stored outside, consuming it or contaminating it.
Additionally, just like a car gets warm in the summer, a plastic food storage container in the sun can heat up and climb into the “danger zone” (above 40°F), allowing bacteria to grow.
Refrigerate turkey leftovers for no more than four days
Cut the turkey off the bone and refrigerate it as soon as possible, within two hours of the turkey coming out of the oven. Eat within four days.
If the leftovers won’t be used right away, they should be packed into freezer bags or airtight containers and frozen.
For best quality, frozen leftover turkey should be consumed within four months. After that, the leftovers will still be safe, but can dry out or lose flavor.
You can find more food safety tips on the Department of Agriculture and Markets website.
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