The holidays are a time for family, friends, good cheer and great food. Making sure that you’re diligent in your food preparation can help prevent the possibility of food borne illnesses (food poisoning). Here are some tips to help ensure your food is memorable for the right reasons and not for the wrong ones.
Food Safety Rules
- Clean. Surfaces, utensils, cutting boards and your hands should be washed often and thoroughly as germs can survive in many places around the kitchen. Make up any excuse to wash your hands because it’s the single easiest way to avoid passing on potentially harmful bacteria.
- Rinse. Fruits and vegetables should be rinsed under water before cutting them up in order to wash away pesticides and insecticides.
- Separate. Meats and vegetables should never be handled on the same surfaces, as raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can quickly pass on germs to ready-to-eat foods. Use different surfaces and make sure to wash your hands when switching between meat and other food products.
- Use a food thermometer. Don’t assume that you know when your meat is cooked by its texture and color. Instead, use a food thermometer to verify the internal temperature of your meats (145°F for whole meats, 160°F for ground meats, and 165°F for all poultry).
- Refrigerate. Keep your refrigerator running at 40°F and put your food into the fridge immediately after eating. Many foods can grow bacteria in as quickly as two hours (one hour in the summer months), so be diligent.
The Parrish Law Firm wishes you safe and delicious cooking adventures!
A representative of the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC researched and wrote this article with Mr. Parrish’s consent. If you have any questions regarding the legal implications of what you have just read, please send us your question by clicking here so we can have our attorney review it.
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