During the holidays cooking becomes a family matters. Everyone wants to prepare his or her favorite dish. Here are some ideas on how to prevent contamination and food borne illness at this special time of year.
- Wash hands with soap and water at the beginning and end of a task. Hand sanitizers are not the best way to the get rid of dirt or germs; hand washing is.
- Clean all kitchen surfaces with soap and water and sanitize.
- Have a cutting board for meats only and another one for vegetables.
- Use separate spoons and forks to stir, taste, and serve food.
- Insert a thermometer in the thickest part of meat or prepared dish and cook to the following internal temperature:
- Steaks, chops of pork lamb, beef, veal and lamb: 145°F for 3 minutes
- Poultry (whole and ground): 165°F
- Eggs dishes: 160°F or until yolk and white are firm
- Stuffing: 165°F
- Ground meat, ground seafood: 160°F
- Place cooked food in a clean container and never baste food with the uncooked marinade.
- Do not overcook meats or char (burn) them. Cooking at high temperatures can lead to carcinogen formation. Marinating may reduce the formation of these compounds.
- Defrost frozen meats in the refrigerator, never on the kitchen counter.
- Refrigerate leftovers within two hours.
- Store leftovers in shallow containers, no more than 2 inches deep.
- Keep food in a clean refrigerator under 40°F or freeze at 0°F
Sources:
University of Florida https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_handling_food
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FY/FY73200.pdf
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/HE/HE77000.pdf
Chemicals in Meat Cooked at High Temperatures and Cancer Risk, National Cancer Institute, at the National Institute of Health. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cooked-meats