Parties, family dinners and seasonal gatherings where food is served are a traditional part of holiday cheer. This holiday season, the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH), within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), urges consumers to take precautions in purchasing and preparing food items, and to pay close attention to good hygiene practices to combat foodborne illness this Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Here are a few simple food safety tips to avoid getting sick during the holiday season:
Safe Storage Temperatures
Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Hot foods should be held at 135 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. Cold foods should be kept at least 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
Foods that sit out on the buffet table for longer than two hours should be discarded.
Safe Food Handling
Always wash your hands before and after handling food.
Use two cutting boards. One should be used for preparing raw meat, poultry and fish and the other for cutting cooked food or preparing salads.
Wash fruits and vegetables before preparing.
Keep your kitchen, dishes and utensils clean.
Never put cooked food back on plates or platters where raw meat or poultry were previously stored.
Wash and sanitize food contact surfaces often.
Never thaw a turkey or other meats/poultry on the kitchen counter. Thawing at room temperature increases the risk of bacteria growth at the surface even though the interior may still be chilled.
Thaw turkey and other frozen meat items in a refrigerator with a temperature of 41 degrees Fahrenheit or colder. The turkey should be thawed in its original wrap, on a tray placed in the bottom section of the refrigerator. A 20-pound turkey needs four to five days to thaw completely when thawed in the refrigerator.
A turkey can also be placed under cool running water at a temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit or less, or thawed in a microwave, provided the turkey is cooked immediately.
Cook Thoroughly
If you are cooking foods in advance of your party, be sure to cook foods thoroughly to a safe minimum internal temperature.
Use a metal-stemmed meat thermometer to determine when the turkey is done by inserting the thermometer in the thickest part of the turkey thigh. When the thermometer reaches between 165-180 degrees Fahrenheit, the turkey is done.
Safe cooking temperatures for other foods are as follows: seafood, 145 degrees Fahrenheit; ground beef, veal, lamb and pork, 160 degrees Fahrenheit; ground turkey, chicken and other poultry products, 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Don’t eat uncooked cookie dough, which may contain raw eggs.
Cook eggs until the yolks and whites are firm.
When making your own eggnog or other recipe calling for raw eggs, use pasteurized shell eggs, liquid or frozen pasteurized egg products, or powdered egg whites. Unpasteurized, raw shell eggs and egg products could contain Salmonella and other pathogens. Pasteurized shell eggs are now available at many grocery stores. Like all eggs, they must be kept refrigerated for safety and quality. Pasteurized shell eggs can be identified by a red “P” in a circle stamped on the shell.
Leftovers
Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator within two hours after cooking is complete, this includes pumpkin pie.
Leftovers should be divided into smaller portions and stored in several shallow containers.
Use refrigerated turkey and stuffing within three to four days. Use gravy within one to two days.
Frozen leftovers should be eaten within two to six months.
Reheat all leftovers to 165 degrees Fahrenheit throughout or until steaming hot. Soups, sauces and gravies should be brought to a rolling boil for at least one minute.
Most importantly, if you are uncertain a food has been stored safely or is still safe to eat, it’s best to follow the old food safety maxim of “when in doubt, throw it out.”
Car seats are one of the best ways to protect your child in an automobile, but only if they are installed and used correctly. In Madison County, we are fortunate to have several organizations that have trained car seat installers who will help you install and use your car seat. Their services are free.
Hours
Richmond: Tuesdays, 3-7PM, 214 Boggs Lane
Berea: Thursdays, 1-5PM, 1001 Ace Drive (off of Rash Road)
The Madison County Health Department operates a Syringe Exchange Program (SEP) to reduce the spread of blood borne diseases such as Hepatitis C and HIV among people who inject drugs (PWID) by providing a scientifically proven public health service that adopts and utilizes the best practices established for harm reduction in this population. Its goals include:
Address the spread of blood borne diseases among PWID through best practices in harm reduction.
Reduce the amount of used syringes disposed of in the community.
Act as an access point for individuals to obtain referrals and information on drug treatment and rehabilitation, health service, insurance enrollment, counseling, and other social services that may be available.
Safeguard all participants and assure that PWIDs are treated with respect and without stigma.
Assure that all issues that require a referral for services are addressed in a systematic and confidential manner.
Services at the SEP include:
Clean injection equipment.
Hepatitis C, HIV, STD and pregnancy testing available at MCHD clinic locations and/or if operating in a mobile unit, rapid HIV testing with referrals for other testing as needed if space permits.
Hepatitis A vaccination is available at the SEP site. Referral for other immunizations, including the annual influenza vaccine, that are available at MCHD clinic locations.
Education regarding Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS transmission, risk reduction, sexually transmitted diseases, condoms, and safe sex information.
Proper syringe disposal, including the expectation that participants will return used needles to the SEP for proper disposal.
A strict one-for-one exchange model will be employed that provides SEP participants with the same number of sterile syringes that the participant brings in for disposal. For example, if the participant disposes of 14 used syringes at the MCHRSEP, then she/he receives 14 new, sterile syringes in return.
Referrals for those who request health services or treatment services.
Free Narcan with training (when available).
CARES
If you come to the Madison County Health Department's Richmond Clinic, you might see the staff wearing a new button. We've started a new CARE (Cardiovascular Assessment, Risk reduction and Education) program.
Nurses will check your blood pressure anytime. It is a quick visit, no appointment needed and it is a FREE service.
Come learn about your blood pressure - it’s for your health!
