Thanksgiving is time of family, friends, and fellowship. Most of us are concerned with the massive caloric content of our favorite Thanksgiving foods, however there may be a bigger concern. The schedule for this beloved American holiday is often food and football, but unfortunately can be followed by a bad case of foodborne illness if food safety is overlooked. Foodborne illness often manifests itself with moderate to severe gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, or "Code Brown". The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 48 million, or 1 out every 6 of us, will get sick each year from foodborne illness. Infants, adolescent children, elderly, and those with compromised immune systems are especially at high risk.
According to the CDC, the two leading causes of food borne illnesses are eating raw or undercooked foods such as meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs; and allowing food to remain at unsafe temperatures too long. It is important to make sure that you keep your food safe this Thanksgiving by remembering a few simple rules. Food safety begins with the purchase of food and continues until the food is discarded. Proper handling of food is most important and can be summarized by the tips below:
1) Purchase foods that have been stored at the appropriate temperatures. If you are buying frozen food, it should be thoroughly frozen in the store. If you buying a ready to eat product, make sure it is at the proper temperature. Cold foods should be held at 40 degrees or below and hot foods should be held at 140 degrees or above. The danger zone for high microbial growth in food is 60 degrees to 120 degrees (where we also find "room temperature".
3) Check expiration dates on cartons and cans. Make sure that you are using safe and fresh ingredients. Old or expired products can taint dishes before the holiday even begans.
3) Avoid buying dented or bulging cans. These can be signs of foods affected with the toxin, Cl. botulinum, which can be life threatening or deadly.
4) Plan ahead to thaw raw meats and poultry properly. It is important to keep in mind that it may take several days to safely thaw a frozen turkey. It is unsafe to set a turkey or meat out on the counter to thaw, as the exterior portion of the meat will be exposed to the "Danger Zone" temperatures, while the interior of the meat will remain at freezing for some time. Thawing the meat in the refrigerator on a bottom shelf is the optimal method to use (bottom shelf is preferred to prevent uncooked poultry drippings from contaminating other ready to eat foods).
5) Cook meat, poultry, and other dishes to safe internal temperatures. Properly using a meat thermometer can assure that your food is at a lower risk for contamination. The thermometer should be inserted in to the middle of the interior to check for doneness.
6) Keep cold foods refrigerated below 40 degrees and hot foods at 165 degrees until ready to serve. This can be done by keeping the food in the oven, using heating elements to keep food warm, and warm or cold packs for insulated casserole dishes.
7) Most families serve Thanksgiving in a buffet style where there are no sneeze guards, hand washing police, or heating and cooling elements to keep foods at their preferred temperature settings. All of these factors can contribute to your risk. To maximize food safety, encourage hand washing, help children with their plates to prevent little fingers contaminating entire dishes. Keep food completely covered to minimize unsafe sampling and to prevent germs from sneezing or coughing to infiltrate the food. Cover foods quickly after serving and refrigerate as soon as possible.
8) No double dipping! Provide serving spoons for each dish. Never put a "personal" utensil in a "public" dish!
9) Fill your plate with foods that have lower microbial growth potential such as fresh fruit, plain vegetables, whole grains, and appropriately heated meats (as opposed to creamy or protein based casseroles).
10) Risks for illness increase dramatically when the Thanksgiving feast is left out at room temperature for hours, sometimes until the next meal. Remember, bacteria thrive at room temperature and many bacteria are introduced during the serving of the holiday dinner. When in doubt, throw it out.
Following these guidelines can help you have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving day and extended weekend. Do your part to encourage friends and family to prevent having a Code Brown Turkey Day! Happy and Healthy Eating!
For more information on healthy eating, contact Leslie Goudarzi, MS, RD, LD, at the GSMC Institute for Healthy Living at 903-239-1551.
