OKLAHOMA CITY — OKLAHOMA CITY — In the coming weeks, there will be many holiday activities to enjoy. The Oklahoma Poison Control Center offers the following safety tips to help ensure a safer holiday season for you and your family.
There are four basics to holiday food safety:
• Wash hands frequently and for a full 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables.
• Avoid cross-contamination, which occurs when germs from one food are passed to another, such as when raw meat, poultry or seafood touches uncooked foods such as salads and fruits. Cross-contamination also can occur when foods come in contact with cooking utensils or countertops that have been used with raw meat products.
• When storing raw meat in the refrigerator, place it on a plate or tray to prevent juices from dripping onto other foods. Store raw poultry and ground meat no longer than two days in the refrigerator.
• Cutting boards for raw meat products should not be used for salads and other uncooked foods. Finish preparing raw meat and return it to the refrigerator or place it in the oven. Then, wash cooking surfaces, countertops and utensils before preparing other food.
• Dirty sponges, dishcloths and towels are a haven for germs. Always use paper towels or freshly cleaned cloths with soap and hot water to wipe kitchen surfaces.
• The first rule of thumb when cooking a turkey is to allow sufficient time — up to four days, if necessary — for it to defrost in the refrigerator. Place the turkey on a dish or tray on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator to ensure drippings don’t come in contact with other foods while defrosting. Before cooking, insert a meat thermometer into the turkey’s inner thigh closest to the breast. Whole turkeys should be cooked to an internal temperature of between 160 and 165 degrees.
• Cook stuffing separately from the turkey. Don’t use recipes that call for raw eggs. All egg dishes should be cooked until they reach 160 degrees.
• During microwaving, make sure there are no cold spots in foods. Stir and rotate food in the microwave for even cooking.
• Sauces, soups and gravies should be brought to a boil before serving. Leftovers should be heated to at least 165 degrees before serving.
• Leftovers are very popular during the holidays, but they should not be left unrefrigerated for more than a couple of hours.
• If weather temperatures are above 90 degrees, food should be refrigerated or frozen within one hour.
• Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator. Also, avoid overfilling the refrigerator. Cold air must circulate for the food to remain safe.
• Be sure the refrigerator temperature is 40 degrees or below and zero degrees or below in the freezer. These temperatures should be verified periodically with an appliance thermometer.
Pharmacists and registered nurses at the poison center are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call the Poison Help-line at 800-222-1222. Do not e-mail the poison center or a member of the poison center staff, as poisoning emergencies are not handled through e-mail. The Oklahoma Poison Control Center is a program of the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy at the OU Health Sciences Center. For more information, visit www.oklahoma
poison.org.
