Tips from Grundy County Health Department for a healthy holiday dinnner

As the end of the year approaches, there may be multiple meals and parties in your future to celebrate the holidays. Carrying food from one location to another and sharing dishes with a crowd means more opportunities for bacteria to grow and cause food poisoning. Whether you’re an experienced cook, a first-time party host or simply adding a dish to the potluck lineup, the holidays can make even the most confident chefs feel nervous. Follow these steps to keep your holiday season food poisoning-free.

Steps to follow during holiday grocery shopping:

• Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood away from other foods in your grocery cart.
• Buy cold foods last.
• Ask the cashier to place your raw meat, poultry, and seafood in a separate bag

Steps to follow during food preparation and cooking:

• Use separate cutting boards for raw meat and ready-to-eat items like vegetables or bread.
• Use separate cutting boards, plates, and utensils for raw meats and cooked meats to avoid cross-contamination.
• Wash items such as cutting boards that have touched raw meat with warm water and soap, or place them in a dishwasher.
• Prepare uncooked recipes before recipes requiring raw meat to reduce cross-contamination. Store them out of the way while preparing meat dishes to ensure they don’t become contaminated after preparation.
• Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of dishes to ensure they are fully cooked and safe to eat. Fresh beef, pork, veal, and lamb should be cooked to 145 ˚F with a three-minute rest time; fish should be cooked to 145 ˚F; ground beef, veal, and lamb should be cooked to 155 ˚F; egg dishes should be cooked to 155 ˚F, and all poultry should be cooked to 165 ˚F.

Foolproof tips when cooking for groups:

• Keep hot food hot and cold food cold, using chafing dishes or crock pots and ice trays. Hot items should remain above 135 ˚F and cold items should remain below 41 ˚F.
• Use several small plates when serving food.
• Discard perishable foods left out for 2 hours or more.

Visit www.foodsafety.gov for additional information. The Grundy County Health Department would like to wish you a safe and happy holiday Season.