The holidays are a time for big meals, buffets, and shared dishes. Unfortunately, these traditions also create opportunities for foodborne illnesses. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), foodborne illnesses cause an estimated 48 million illnesses and 3,000 deaths each year in the United States. That’s why December is the perfect time to remind ourselves that food safety is just as important as the recipes we prepare.
To reduce your risk of foodborne illnesses and protect your loved ones, follow these four simple food safety tips: clean, separate, cook, and chill. These guidelines may seem basic, but they are the foundation of preventing foodborne illness.
Cleanliness is the first line of defense. Washing your hands with soap and water before preparing food is essential. Be sure to also wash fruits and vegetables, and sanitize all kitchen surfaces after handling raw meat or seafood.
Separating foods is another critical step. Cross-contamination happens when raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs come into contact with ready-to-eat foods like salads, fruits, or charcuterie boards. To prevent this, use different cutting boards and utensils for raw and cooked foods. Keeping these items separate lowers the chance of harmful bacteria spreading from one dish to another.
Ensuring food is cooked to the proper internal temperature is also important for food safety, because color alone is not a reliable indicator of doneness. Using a food thermometer is the best way to know that food is safe to eat. The USDA recommends the following minimum internal cooking temperatures: 165°F for poultry, 160°F for ground beef, and 145°F followed by a three-minute rest time for steak, ham, and roasts.
Chilling leftovers is the final step in safe food handling. When food is left out too long at room temperature, it enters what food experts call the “Danger Zone,” between 40°F and 140°F. In this range, bacteria can double in just 20 minutes, making food unsafe to eat. Leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours of serving to slow bacterial growth. When reheating, make sure leftovers reach 165°F before eating.
Lastly, some Wisconsin holiday foods deserve special attention for food safety. Raw meat dishes like tiger meat, steak tartare, or cannibal sandwiches made with raw ground beef are always risky, no matter where you buy your ground beef. Ground beef should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F to make sure it is safe to eat. Homemade eggnog can also be risky if it is made with raw eggs. While cooking it can kill the bacteria, you can still get sick if the eggnog is left out at room temperature. It is safer to buy pasteurized eggnog and keep it refrigerated.
Food safety may not be the most glamorous part of holiday planning, but it is one of the most important. Holiday meals are meant to bring families together, not send them to the emergency room. By practicing safe food handling, hosts can make sure their gatherings remain joyful and healthy.
— Ellie Lombardo is the Public Health Educator for the Green County Public Health Department and can be reached at
elombardo@greencountywi.org
or 608-328-9509.
