Food Safety Hot Topics
Follow guidelines to feast safely during the holidays
LITTLE ROCK – Go to any store in Arkansas and you are likely find aisles
full of Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations. These not-so-gentle reminders
give us pause to think about the upcoming holidays and all the tasks at hand,
not the least of which is preparing and serving meals for family and friends.
With so much to do, food-borne illnesses are more likely to emerge during this
time of year when schedules become more hectic. To streamline meal preparation
and to keep loved ones healthy, follow these tips to keep food safe during the
holidays.
First, plan ahead. Decide when you will host a meal such as Thanksgiving dinner
or a holiday buffet then determine how many guests will be eating. This will
help you settle on what dishes you will serve and allow you to take stock of
what ingredients you may already have on hand as well as what needs to be purchased
and when.
If you will be serving turkey, determine if a fresh or frozen one is appropriate.
A frozen turkey is a good option if you have plenty of storage space in your
freezer and enough room in the refrigerator to thaw it properly. If you would
rather cook a fresh turkey, make sure you acquire it one to two days before
you plan to cook it.
"For safety reasons, thaw a frozen turkey in its original wrapper in
the refrigerator," says Dr. Russ Kennedy, health and aging specialist
with the U of A Cooperative Extension Service. "The best temperature for
this is 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which will slow bacterial growth. You also should
allow plenty of time for the bird to thaw completely. A rule of thumb is 24
hours for each five pounds the turkey weighs so if the bird weighs 10 pounds,
allow two days for it to entirely thaw out." Once the turkey is completely
thawed, cook it within two days.
Other thawing methods include placing the turkey in cold water or in the microwave.
If you forget to thaw the turkey in time for your meal, place it in cold water.
For each pound of turkey, change the water every 30 minutes to defrost it completely.
"If your turkey is 10 pounds, it will take about five hours to thaw,"
Dr. Kennedy explains.
Thawing in the microwave is a safe option if the turkey is not oversized. To
do this safely, check the microwave’s instructions for the size turkey
that will fit into your oven, the minutes per pound, and the power level to
use. Cook immediately after thawing.
Once you’re ready to cook the bird, place it immediately in a preheated
oven and cook until a food thermometer reads 180 degrees Fahrenheit when placed
in the turkey’s thigh. Once this is achieved and the rest of the turkey
is done to your guests’ preference, all the meat on the bird – including
any that remains pink – is safe to eat.
Finally, when your guests have been served and the celebration has ended, store
any leftovers by cutting meat into small pieces, placing in shallow, covered
containers and refrigerating within two hours of cooking. Leftover turkey can
be consumed safely within three to four days after it was cooked. Past this
time, throw away leftovers away.
For more information about food safety and nutrition, visit extension's Web
site, www.uaex.edu, or contact your county extension agent. The Cooperative
Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.
By: Kelli Reep
For the Cooperative Extension Service
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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