The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a reminder on Wednesday that food safety should be on the top of everyone’s holiday lists, and provided recommendations for safe food practices during holiday events. Their recommendations included using separate cutting boards, plates, and utensils for raw meats to avoid cross contamination, and employing meat thermometers to ensure that your meat is cooked safely. When measuring the temperature of whole cooked poultry, the agency reminded consumers to take temperatures at the thickest portion of the breast, and the innermost portions of the wings and thighs.
The agency provided useful tips for those traveling to holiday parties with hot or cold prepared food, and for mailing prepared holiday food. These tips include recommended temperature ranges to keep hot and cold food at during travel; instructions for serving and refrigerating perishables; and how to identify if food has become damaged or unsafe to eat or serve. If you are looking for last minute gifts for food enthusiasts, FSIS has some suggestions that are always useful in the kitchen: a food thermometer, a cutting board, and washable dish towels.
The full news release on FSIS’ helpful holiday suggestions, is available here. More information on food safety for handling and cooking chicken may be found here.
