Planning ahead for holiday meals
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EmailPlanning ahead and being prepared keeps foodborne illness off the table.
Planning ahead and being prepared can help you avoid foodborne illness during the holidays or any get-together during the year. It has been estimated that more than fifty percent of foodborne illnesses are from home kitchens, so handling food safely at home is critical. Here are five tips to stay safe cooking for others:
1. Shop and organize with food safety in mind
Before cooking, make sure you have:
- A food thermometer to check if food is fully cooked.
- Two cutting boards—one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood, and one for ready-to-eat foods.
- Shallow containers for quick cooling.
- A refrigerator set at or below 40°F and a freezer at 0°F.
While shopping:
- Place raw meat, poultry, and seafood in separate plastic bags.
- Keep them separate in your cart and on the ride home.
- Skip damaged produce or dented, leaking or rusty cans—damaged goods can carry harmful bacteria.
Once home:
- Refrigerate, freeze or cook perishable foods right away.
- When thawing frozen foods, use a safe thawing method, including the refrigerator, cold water, microwave (always followed by the cooking process), or cooking without thawing. Never thaw food at room temperature.
2. Wash hands the right way
Germs spread fast! Wash your hands with soap and water, scrubbing:
- Palms and fingers
- Between fingers and thumbs
- Wrists and backs of hands
- Under and around fingernails
Wash your hands for 20 seconds.
Wash them every time they get contaminated.
3. Cook and serve food safely
You can’t see, smell, or taste harmful bacteria; the only way to know if food is cooked to the proper temperature is to use a food thermometer. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service recommends these safe internal temperatures:
- Thickest part of the turkey (all poultry) and stuffing (when baked inside the bird): 165°F
- Ground meat (except poultry): 160°F
- Whole cuts of meat and pork: 145°F (let rest 3 minutes before carving/serving)
- Seafood: 145°F
Always wash and sanitize the thermometer between uses.
Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. You have 2 hours to serve and enjoy food before it must be refrigerated or frozen. Keep foods safe in the home kitchen.
If making homemade eggnog, meringue, or dishes with raw eggs, use pasteurized eggs.
4. Avoid cross-contamination
- Always wash and sanitize surfaces, utensils, and cutting boards.
- Never put cooked food on a plate that held raw meat.
- Marinate food in the fridge. If using marinade as a condiment, save a clean portion of the marinade before adding raw meat (or bring to a boil).
- Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water before you eat or prepare them—even if you’re peeling them.
- Don’t leave some produce or any that are cut out for more than 2 hours.
- Store raw and ready-to-eat foods in separate containers.
- Don’t overpack the fridge—air needs to circulate.
5. Handle leftovers safely
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers (less than 2 inches deep).
- Slice large pieces of meat or poultry before storing.
- Use airtight containers and label them with the date.
- Eat leftovers within 3–4 days or freeze them.
- Frozen leftovers are best used within 3–4 months.
Reheating tips:
- Heat all leftovers to 165°F.
- Soups, sauces, and gravies should reach a full, rolling boil.
Following these safety steps will help keep harmful bacteria off your holiday table and make your celebrations safe and enjoyable.
