“Back in my day our milk was unpasteurized, we thawed our meat right there on the counter, and the Thanksgiving leftovers were left right there on the table until after the Cowboys beat the Redskins.” These are some common sentiments I hear when talking about food safety, and there is some validity to food safety being lax in the past. Grandma most likely knew exactly where and from whom the meat, dairy, and eggs were coming, the conditions they were processed in, and the conditions of how they were delivered. With the advent of modern food production, we do not always have the luxury of knowing exactly how, when, and in what condition our food gets to our table, and that comes with the unknown risk of foodborne illness causing pathogens. Food safety precautions are important in order to keep our family, our friends, and ourselves healthy. A foodborne illness can be as mild as a rough night spent in the restroom or as serious as a hospital ICU visit. The latter case can be more prevalent for those with weaker immune systems: very young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with compromised immunities. With that in mind, let us talk about some ways to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses this holiday season.
For most of us, Thanksgiving dinner prep begins several days before when we start thawing our turkey. The safest way to thaw anything is in the refrigerator, allowing one day for each 4-5 pounds of weight. Sure, you may have to reorganize a bit, but thawing foods in the fridge is the safest way because it keeps foods out of the “Temperature Danger Zone”: a temperature range of 41oF-135oF in which bacteria multiply most rapidly. Other acceptable methods of thawing include thawing in cold water provided that the food is kept in its original wrapping, the water is kept below 70oF, and changed every 30 minutes (allow 30 minutes per pound), or you can thaw using a microwave’s defrost function with the caveat that you remove the outside wrapping and cook the food immediately after thawing (allow 6 minutes per pound).
Ensure that your food is reaching the proper internal cooking temperature before serving it. You cannot tell if a turkey is done by its color, the internal temperature is the only way to ensure it is safe to consume. Using a metal probe thermometer, check three different places on the bird: the thickest part of the breast, innermost wing, and the innermost thigh. Clean and sanitize your thermometer between each use to reduce the risk of cross contamination. The proper internal cooking temperature of poultry is 165oF.
When the meal is all said and done, and your guests are still in a jolly mood, put everyone to work to make sure that all leftovers are cooled and stored at 40oF or below within two hours of serving. Separate large portions into smaller, shallower sizes in order to speed up the cooling process. Do no place still piping hot portions directly into the fridge as this will just increase the risk of the fridge warming up instead of the food cooling down. If you’ve followed the food safety precautions so far, leftovers should be consumed within the next 6 days.
Reheating those leftovers is much simpler. Whether on the stovetop, oven, or microwave, any and all reheated food must reach an internal temperature of 165oF in order to be food safe.
All that aside, we here at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service – Bosque County would like to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving. It is the season of gratitude, and I for one am exceptionally grateful for such a great community. If you have any questions about food safety, please contact County Extension Agent – Family and Community Health Chris Coon at 254-435-2331 or at chris.coon@ag.tamu.edu.
