State Health Department Promotes Food Safety Practices

HARTFORD — With New Year’s celebrations, sports playoffs, bowl games, and the Super Bowl on tap in the coming weeks, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) is sending reminders on the importance of keeping safe and healthy food handling practices in mind.

Many gatherings incorporate meat and poultry, a possible source of food-borne disease unless handled and prepared properly. This holiday season, the DPH urges consumers to follow public health guidelines when purchasing and preparing food items, paying particularly close attention to the basic tenets of food safety and good hygiene.

Seasonal buffets, party trays, or even a poorly stored turkey could be the culprit of disease. Improperly stored food items provide breeding grounds for bacterial contamination, which causes illness that affects an average of 76 million people each year.

Here are a few food safety tips to avoid getting sick during the holiday season:

*Wash hands. Wash hands for 20 seconds with soap and water and dry your hands with a paper towel following restroom use, before preparing foods, after handling raw meat, and before eating. Clean hands will help prevent the spread of potentially illness-causing microorganisms.

*Clean. Wash and sanitize food-contact surfaces often. To sanitize utensils, immerse for 30 seconds in clean, hot water at 170 degrees Fahrenheit, or immerse for at least one minute in a clean solution containing at least 50 parts per million of chlorine (one teaspoon of 5.25 percent household bleach per gallon of water). Bacteria can spread and get onto cutting boards, knives, and countertops. Wash fruits and vegetables before preparing.

*Thaw properly. Proper methods for thawing a turkey include: thawing in a refrigerator with a temperature of 41 degrees Fahrenheit or less (allow three to four days for thawing); placing under cool running water at a temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit or less; or thawing in a microwave and cooking the turkey immediately.

*Take temperatures. Cook at 325 degrees Fahrenheit until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooked, hot foods should be kept at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. Be sure to use a food thermometer to check temperatures.

*Keep it cold. Cold foods should be kept at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or less. After the turkey is served, immediately slice and refrigerate on shallow platters. Use refrigerated turkey and stuffing within three to four days. Use gravy within one to two days. If freezing leftovers, use within two to six months for best quality.

*Transport safely. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

*Reheat. Leftover turkey and stuffing should be stored separately in shallow dishes or platters. Rapidly reheat leftovers to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

*Proper hand washing is the most effective way to keep food and guests safe.

For more information and free literature about food safety, contact the Food Protection Program at 860-509-7297.