It’s hectic in the kitchen during the holidays. Food preparation is fast-paced, families are entertaining more frequently, making food safety an issue. Here are three tips to keep your food and family safe:
- Shop with a time plan: when shopping, stop for food items last. Make sure to keep cold foods cold and frozen foods frozen. If it will be more than two hours between shopping and getting home, bring a cooler or an insulated bag with freezer packs to transport your food.
- Defrost in the refrigerator: defrost turkeys and other frozen food in your refrigerator, making sure that raw meat and poultry juices don’t drip onto other foods or surfaces in your refrigerator.
- Don’t cross-contaminate: wash your hands with warm running water and soap, scrubbing for 20 seconds and drying with paper towel before and after handling raw meats, poultry, and seafood.