How to Have a Safe Thanksgiving Feast

Preparing a Thanksgiving feast can be overwhelming. Sometimes, we take shortcuts to speed up the process that we tend to ignore food safety issues. Let's pay attention to the food-safety tips below so we can all enjoy an illness-free celebration!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• thermometers

1. Store food items properly. Raw foods should be stored away from
   ready-to-eat items to prevent cross-contamination. Meat, fish and poultry should be placed in large catch pans and at the bottom shelf to prevent juices from meat to drip onto other foods. Foods should be stored at 40 F or below in the refrigerator and 0 F or below in the freezer.

2. Thaw turkey safely. Allow 4 to 5 days under refrigeration for safe thawing. Meat can also be defrosted safely in the microwave or in a pan, under continuously running cold water.

3. Cook turkey to 165 F. Use a meat thermometer to check at the innermost part of the thigh.

4. Do not allow foods to linger at room temperature. Observe the "danger zone", a range at which bacteria thrive best. Keep cold foods below 40 F and hot foods above 140 F.

5. Discard leftovers within 72 hours. Bacteria can live even in the refrigerator.

6. Practice good hygiene. Proper hand washing is still the best defense against food-borne illnesses.

[sunshine11219]

on 12/7/2008 these are great tips for any holiday