Don’t Let Food Poisoning Ruin Your Holiday Meals
As you may have already heard, the CDC has issued a food safety alert for romaine lettuce related to an outbreak of E. coli infections.
While tossing out your romaine lettuce is a good start, the reality is that holiday meals – are always high-risk situations for food-borne illnesses, sometimes referred to as food poisoning. Here are a few steps you can take to reduce your risk of getting sick from your holiday meals this year:
- Wash your hands. This goes for those preparing the food as well as those eating. Here’s agreat video if you’d like more specifics.
- Wash your produce. Don’t mess around with washing your romaine; just throw it in the trash. Other fresh produce, however, should be rinsed under running water and dried with a clean paper towel before consumption.
- Temp your meats. Recommended minimum temperatures for cooked meat vary. Turkey, for example, should reach at least 165° F, while ham is fine at 145° F. A more complete guide to temping meats can be found here.
- Put your food away. Hot food should be kept at a minimum of 135° F, while cold food should be held below 40° F. If that’s not happening on your dining room table – which is unlikely – your food should be stored away after two hours.
By taking the above steps, you’ll go a long way towards making your meals safer for yourself and your loved ones.