Holiday Tips: Part Three

If you’re feeling there are too many things to do and not enough time, it’s still important follow simple food safety guidelines that keep you, your family and friends happy and healthy during the holidays. Here are three important food safety tips:

  • Thermometers are critical for food safety, especially when cooking whole turkeys. However, all thermometers are not created equal. If your holiday turkey has a pop-up thermometer, use it as a guide. But use a meat thermometer to make sure the turkey has reached 165 degrees.
  • Watch time and temperature of food during buffets. Cold food should be kept cold, at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below and hot foods should be kept hot, at 140 degrees. The only way you know food is being held at temperature is to use a thermometer. Food in the temperature danger zone outside of 40-140 degrees should be thrown away after four hours.
  • Wash dishes using a dishwasher if possible. If you manually wash dishes, always air dry to avoid cross contamination.