Food Poisoning: Don’t Spoil Your Holiday Dinners

It can be stressful to juggle holiday dinners: the number of dishes to prepare piles up quick so boy would it be helpful to have another oven. Plus, friends and family are visiting so you still have to play host. In all the chaos, simple cooking rules- like keeping your work area clean- can fall to the side. But those slips can cause food poisoning for you and your loved ones. Here are some quick tips on how to keep your family safe from food-borne illnesses this holiday season.

From the Grocery Store to the Fridge

You got back from the grocery store and realized that carrying the bags with both the milk jug and the ham in at the same time was a bad idea. Taking a break before putting away the groceries sounds harmless, but certain foods, like meat, dairy, and vegetables need to be refrigerated right away before they spoil and grow bacteria\. Meat and poultry, for example, can only be left out for two hours at the most. While your groceries may not feel like they haven’t been out of the fridge for long, between it being in your cart at the store, standing in line for check out, and traffic on the way home, the time adds up quick.

Prepping for the Party

When you are ready to start cooking, make sure you keep the items and surfaces you are using clean. Here are some tips to avoid cross contamination and bacteria growth while preparing your food:

#1: Meat should be kept separate from other foods- and that includes all knives and cutting boards you use for them too. Don’t double dip the knife you used to cut raw chicken for cutting up the potatoes unless you washed it first.

#2: Thawing meat does not mean leaving it on the counter where dangerous bacteria can grow. Thaw frozen meats by putting them in the refrigerator the night before, or in the sink with ice. Remember that raw meat can only be left in the fridge for one to two days to thaw before it starts growing bacteria. And if you do use the sink, make sure to change the ice every half an hour to keep the meat cold.

#3: Dish towels are often overlooked and overused – if used for too long they can grow bacteria. You don’t want to be drying your hands after you washed them on the same towel that you wiped a knife or counter down with. If a towel is dirty or wet, throw it in the laundry and grab a new one.

Temperatures

Raw meat contains very harmful bacteria. Cooking meat and poultry kills most of the bacteria, but you need to make sure that they reach the right temperatures. Meat should heat up to between 145 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit, and chicken should typically be cooked to a slight higher temp. Foods containing eggs, like casseroles and sauces, should reach at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. A meat thermometer is the easiest way to be sure your food is reaching a safe temperature. And any dish that should stay cold, like vegetable dip or desserts, need to stay below 40 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid bacteria growth.

Keeping food out in a buffet style while you eat dinner might look nice, but can also cause bacteria growth. If you can, use warming trays and slow cookers to keep foods hot, and set cold foods in ice. If you don’t have these tools, use smaller serving dishes, and refill them with fresh food when they run out. If the dish is not going to be eaten right away, like cakes and pies, keep them in the fridge until you ready for them.

Improperly cooked or stored food can cause severe bouts of food poison – not something to look forward to this holiday season. Signs of food poisoning may vary and can start as quickly as a few hours after eating, or even days or weeks later. If you are in extreme pain and it is lasting for more than three days, visit a CareWell Urgent Care center. Their team of doctors can alleviate your symptoms and get you back to celebrating in no time.