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CONSUMERS KEY TO FOOD SAFETY DURING HOLIDAYS
State and federal officials are urging consumers to take special
care when handling and preparing food this holiday season to keep
meals and party snacks safe and delicious.
West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass said
a few simple precautions can ensure a happy holiday season.
“The primary mission of this Department is to ensure that
food entering this state, or that is produced in this state, is
wholesome, unadulterated and free of any contamination,” said
Commissioner Douglass.
- “Consumers may take our efforts for granted because there
are so few food-related problems that arise in this state, but
our inspectors are out there every day protecting the well-being
of every West Virginian.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends the following
practices to reduce the risk of the most common food-borne illnesses
- Wash hands and food-contact surfaces often. Bacteria can spread
throughout the kitchen via cutting boards, knives, sponges, and
counter tops.
- Don’t cross-contaminate. This is especially true for raw
meat, poultry and seafood. Experts caution to keep these foods
and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods.
- Cook to proper temperatures. Foods are properly cooked when
they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature
to kill the harmful bacteria that cause food-borne illness.
- Refrigerate promptly. Public health officials advise consumers
to refrigerate foods quickly because cold temperatures keep most
harmful bacteria from growing and multiplying. Refrigerators should
be set at 40°F and the freezer at 0°F, and the accuracy
of the settings should be checked occasionally with a thermometer.
- FDA advises consumers not to eat uncooked cookie dough –
homemade or commercial – or batters made with raw fresh eggs
because they may contain bacteria that can cause an intestinal
infection called salmonellosis.
- Traditional eggnog made with raw eggs also presents the same
salmonellosis risk. While cooking can destroy the disease-causing
bacteria, consumers can still become ill when the eggnog is left
at room temperature for several hours before being consumed. Safe
alternatives are pasteurized eggnog beverages sold in grocery
dairy cases. These products should be kept refrigerated.
- Apple cider and other juices: Apple cider is often served during
the holiday season. Apple cider and most juices are pasteurized
or otherwise treated to destroy harmful bacteria. Pasteurized
juice can be found in the refrigerated or frozen foods sections
of stores. Treated juice is shelf-stable and is normally found
in the non-refrigerated juice section of stores. It’s packaged
in boxes, bottles or cans.
- Unpasteurized or untreated juice is normally found in the refrigerated
sections of grocery stores, health-food stores, cider mills or
farm markets. Such juices must have this warning on the label:
“WARNING: This product has not been pasteurized and therefore,
may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in
children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.”
If you can’t tell whether a juice has been processed to destroy
harmful bacteria, either don’t use the product or boil it
to kill any harmful bacteria.
- Thawing the turkey completely before cooking is important and
necessary to reduce the risk of food-borne illness. If a turkey
is not properly thawed, the outside of the turkey will be done
before the inside, and the inside will not be hot enough to destroy
disease-causing bacteria.
- Allow the correct amount of time to properly thaw and cook a
whole turkey. For example, a 20-pound turkey needs two to three
days to thaw completely when thawed in the refrigerator at a temperature
of no more than 40°F. A stuffed turkey needs four to five
hours to cook completely.
- To check a turkey for doneness, insert a food thermometer into
the inner thigh area near the breast of the turkey but not touching
bone. The turkey is done when the temperature reaches 180°F.
If the turkey is stuffed, the temperature of the stuffing should
be 165°F.
- Oysters, seafood and fish should always be cooked thoroughly.
Buy only fresh seafood that is refrigerated or properly iced.
Cooking fish until it is opaque and flaky helps destroy any bacteria
that may be present. Avoid eating raw oysters or shellfish. People
with liver disorders or weakened immune systems are especially
at risk for getting sick.
- Be careful with mail-order food gifts which can include meat,
poultry, fish and other perishables, such as cheese, fruit and
cheesecake. The gift giver should alert the recipient to the pending
arrival of the food gift; the recipient should open the package
immediately to make sure that the food arrives in a chilled state.
Additional resources for consumers are available at the following
websites and toll-free telephone numbers:
The Fight BAC! website, www.fightbac.org; and
The USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-800-535-4555. The TTY
number for the hearing
impaired is 1-800-256-7072. The e-mail address is mphot1ine.fsis@usda.gov.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal
and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and
consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner
of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West
Virginia. Current Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving
agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit
www.wvagriculture.org.
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