Statewide- Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the things we are most thankful for and to enjoy a delicious meal with loved ones. Some take the lead for meal preparation while others share the responsibility. No matter how your meal comes together, everyone must work together to prevent foodborne illness.
Follow these tips from USDA to ensure a food-safe meal this Thanksgiving.
Tip 1: Wash your hands
Handwashing reduces the risk of foodborne illness and is especially important after handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, and egg products.
Tip 2: Prevent cross-contamination
Turkeys may contain Salmonella and Campylobacter, common pathogens that can cause foodborne illness. Our recent study found that 60% of sinks were contaminated after handling raw poultry in the sink, so if you handle your turkey in the sink, be sure to fully clean and sanitize your sink and other surfaces after handling your raw turkey and before prepping any other Thanksgiving sides and dishes
Tip 3: Cook the turkey to 165°F
To properly take the internal temperature of your turkey, test it in three areas — the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the wing, and the innermost part of the thigh. Only if all three locations reach 165°F, is the bird is safe to eat.
Tip 4: Follow the two-hour rule
Make sure all leftovers are placed in the refrigerator within two hours to safely enjoy them later. Put them in small, shallow containers. If foods have been left out for more than two hours, they should be discarded.
Tip 5: Ask your questions!
If you have any questions this Thanksgiving, you can call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) to talk to a food safety expert or chat live at ask.usda.gov from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. If you need help on Thanksgiving Day, the Meat and Poultry Hotline is available from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern Time.
You can also visit FoodSafety.gov to learn more about how to safely select, thaw and prepare a turkey. For more Thanksgiving food safety tips, follow FSIS on Twitter @USDAFoodSafety or on Facebook at Facebook.com/FoodSafety.gov. Happy holidays!
