Turkey Talk

Interior Health Have a Happy - and Healthy Thanksgiving! KELOWNA: Celebrating Thanksgiving with a turkey this year? Interior Health wants your thanksgiving celebration to be a healthy one - free from food borne illness. Food borne illnesses cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fever and may not occur for days after contaminated food is eaten - so many people do not recognize that bacteria or other pathogens on food caused the illness. "Each year, Interior Health's public health inspectors follow-up on over 500 cases of gastro-intestinal illness - many cases caused by food and originating in the home," said Ken Christian, Director of Health Protection for Interior Health. " By following some simple safety tips, people can reduce their risk and protect not only themselves but also their family and guests." Follow these simple steps for a healthy and happy thanksgiving dinner: Safe Thawing: There are three safe ways to thaw food - in the refrigerator, under cold running water or in the microwave oven. Turkeys are safe indefinitely as long as they stay frozen. However, if the turkey is allowed to thaw at room temperature, harmful bacteria can multiply. To thaw a turkey in the refrigerator, allow 24 hours of thaw-time for every 5 lb. Clean: Clean hands and cooking surfaces often. Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get on cutting boards, knives, sponges, dishtowels and counter tops. Wash hands well with warm water and soap for at least 15 seconds. Wash all items that contact food after preparing each food item and before going on to the next one. Plastic cutting boards should be run through the dishwasher. If you use cloth towels to clean up, wash them often in the hot cycle of the washing machine. Separate - Don't Cross Contaminate: Cross-contamination is how bacteria spread from one food product to another. This is especially true of raw meat, poultry or seafood. Use a separate cutting board for raw meats and ready-to-eat foods. If you only have one cutting board, wash it well in hot, soapy water and use a solution of 2 tablespoons of bleach in a gallon of water to sanitize it. Cook Well: Cook all meat, including poultry, to proper temperatures in order to kill harmful bacteria that cause food borne illness. The internal temperature of a whole turkey must reach 165 degrees F (190 F is recommended if the bird is stuffed). Oven temperature must be set no lower than 350 degrees F. (Generally, 20 minutes/pound at 350 F.) Enjoying Leftovers: Refrigerate or freeze all leftovers promptly. Perishable foods should not be left out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours. It is safe to refreeze leftover turkey and trimmings even if they were previously frozen.

 

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