Perhaps more than any other American holiday, Thanksgiving is all about the food. So don’t let the food make you sick. These five tips from the U.S. Department of Agriculture can help you prepare the feast safely:
• Don’t wash the turkey. Washing raw meat and poultry can cause bacteria to spread. Cooking it to the right temperature kills any bacteria that may be present, so washing is unnecessary.
• Defrost your frozen turkey safely, in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave. Thawing food in the refrigerator is the safest method; allow 24 hours for every 5 pounds of weight. To thaw in cold water, submerge the bird in its original wrapper in cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes. To defrost in the microwave, follow the instructions in your oven’s owner’s manual.
• Use a meat thermometer. Check the whole turkey in the innermost part of the thigh, the innermost part of the wing and the thickest part of the breast. For safe food, the temperature should read 165 degrees F in all three of these places.
• Don’t store food outside, even if it’s cold. Animals can contaminate it, and the outside temperature may not stay cold enough to be safe.
• Leftovers are good in the refrigerator for up to four days.
For more safety tips about your Thanksgiving dinner, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) oir visit FoodSafety.gov.
– Staff report
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