Keeping your Thanksgiving dinner safe: Resources to help
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EmailWhen you are in the kitchen and not sure what to do next, where can you find help?
Michigan State University Extension Educators provide answers to consumer food safety questions on weekdays, all year long. But what do you do if you have a food safety question on Thanksgiving Day while you are preparing all or part of your holiday meal? What is the proper minimum internal cooking temperature for roasting your turkey or should I trust my pop up timer in my turkey for doneness? Not knowing the correct answers to questions like these can impact the safety of your holiday food and the health of your family and dinner guests.
The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline can personally answer your food safety questions on Thanksgiving Day from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p. m., Eastern Time. The hotline is a toll-free telephone service, which began July 1, 1985 and helps prevent foodborne illness by answering questions about the safe storage, handling and preparation of meat, poultry and egg products. The Hotline is staffed by food safety specialists with backgrounds in home economics, nutrition and food technology and when you call, you will talk to a person, one-on-one who will answer your question. This resource is also available in Spanish and has recorded food safety messages available to provide additional information.
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline can be reached by calling 1-888-MPHotline. Other online food safety resources can also be accessed on the Michigan State University Extension website and Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Utilize all the great resources above to ensure a great tasting and safe holiday meal.
