Thanksgiving is mean to be a time of gratitude and family togetherness , not upset stomachs , cramps , and diarrhoea . But these and other symptom of food for thought poisoning can becaused bySalmonella , Norovirus , E. coli , and other pathogens that lurk in our food . Every year , about 1 in 6 Americans—48 million the great unwashed — number down with food toxic condition , harmonise to theCDC . to prevent you from being one of them , here are some round-eyed backsheesh for reducing the risk of contracting a foodborne illness , because no one wants to spend Black Friday on the couch clutching the Pepto - Bismol . ( If stomach symptom do strike , here ’s our handy templet forhow to tellif it ’s food poisoning or something else . )
1. To prevent food poisoning, keep your raw meat away from everything else.
It ’s easy for in the buff meat , seafood , poultry , and eggs to spread seed to foods you might not falsify before run through , like Green or moolah . That ’s why it ’s best to divide the raw animal products from everything else in your shopping go-cart and in your nutrient prep area , including using different cutting board or plates . You also want to distinguish those peeled brute intersection in the fridge , and possibly keep them on the bottom shelf to avoid drips further down . When it comes to turkey , keep it on atray or panto catch any juices that might leak . That ’s an especially good estimate this year , amid asalmonella outbreakinvolving 35 state .
2. Minimize germs by washing your hands and work area (with soap).
Pesky germs love to linger on handwriting , utensils , counters , and cutting surfaces . Before you start cooking , urinate certain everything is clean , and wash up throughly with soap and hot water . TheCDC adviseswashing hands " for 20 seconds with goop and water before , during , and after devise food and before eating . " In face you do n’t have a timekeeper handy , that ’s the length of hummingHappy Birthdaytwice .
3. Wash your produce too.
Produce is a common carrier of norovirus andE. coli , among other nasties . ( Romaine lettuce seems especially vulnerable to the latter ; as of November 2018 , a new outbreak has theCDC warningpeople not to eat it at all ) . But you may concentrate your peril somewhat byrinsingyour fruits and vegetables in plain tap water . According to an expertUSA Todayspoke to , rinsing move out 90 percent of the pathogens solid food pull in during growing and transport . The best method is to rub while rinsing , then dry with a ( sporty , patently ) towel . For food with tough skins or rinds , like potatoes , peeling is even more effective than rinse .
The elision is bagged greens advertised as pre - water-washed : The bacteria in your kitchen is likely to mean that rinse will do more harm than good .
However , don’t rinseyour meat or poultry — you’ll probably just squish the bacterium around .
4. Thaw your meat correctly.
Do n’t bribe your turkey until a day or two before you design to falsify it , then keep it frozen and in its original wrap until ready to thaw it . ( If your turkey is pre - overeat , do n’t thaw it at all ; Captain James Cook from the package directions . ) According to the USDA , there ’s only three safe ways to thaw : In the fridge , in cold body of water , or in a microwave . Keep in nous that larger birds can take a considerable amount of time to thaw in the refrigerator , so design ahead accordingly . ( The USDA has ahandy timetablefor how long birds of various sizes require to thaw . ) If you ’re forgetful on metre , cold water is the good option . flesh 30 minutes for every Ezra Pound of bird , and change the water system every 30 minute .
If by rights thawed in the electric refrigerator , you could re - suspend your dud if necessary , but do n’t refreeze if after using the other methods . And never thaw food by just will it to baby-sit out on the counter — bacteria will start to multiple in a flash lamp once function of the chow touch room temperature .
5. Cook thoroughly.
It ’s authoritative to get food hot enough , for long enough , that germ can be killed . When it ’s meter to roast the turkey , you should n’t be setting your oven temperature any lower than 325 ° F . ensure the bird has been cooked through by using a food for thought thermometer to check the thickest part of the breast and innermost part of the thigh or wing ; the thermometer should read at least 165 ° degree Fahrenheit . The same temperature is in force for any form of whole poultry , breasts , or thigh , as well as reason Gallus gallus or turkey and casserole . Stuffing , too . Fresh ham or fish can be alittle cooler—145 ° F .
Keep in thinker that an unstuffed 8 - pound turkey will take anywhere from 1.5 to 3.25 hour to cook thoroughly , and an 8 - 12 muller from 2.75 to 3 hours , so it ’s important to plan ahead . Do n’t take over you may check for doneness just by calculate — even done meat can be pinkish .
And whatever you do , don’t usean unwritten thermometer . human run at lower temps than roasted bird , and regular oral thermometers can fail in the mellow hotness , adding glass and mercury to your entrees . Maybe not food toxic condition , but not salutary .
6. Give your proteins a rest.
Resting can help meat juices to localise and make carving easier . For some nutrient , particularly steak , sassy pork , or fresh ham , it can also facilitate kill microbe , as the temperature remain at a constant or continue to rise . Other foods , like fish , do n’t want to rest at all .
7. Skip the stuffing. (Or bake it outside the bird.)
Sorry , Thanksgiving purists : Cooking engorge inside a turkeyisn’t recommended — that bready glop is porous and thus perfect for soaking up salmonella - laden juice . fit in to author and TV personalityAlton Brown , getting the dressing to 165 ° F usually means overcook the rest of the raspberry . " The way I see it , cooking stuffing inside a Republic of Turkey turns the turkey into a rather costly sealskin - a - repast grip , " he write in his bookGood chow . " If you ’re a stuffing devotee , I suggest ready it separately ( in which case it ’s ' dressing , ' not stuffing ) and inserting it into the bird while it rests . "
8. While you’re at it, skip the oysters too.
Some foods are high-risk than others when it comes to food poisoning . If it’sraw or rare , peculiarly if it ’s an animal product , chances are it has some unwanted baggage . Raw oyster , in particular , are breed grounds for bacteria because they’refilter feeders , which means they give suck up a lot of virus and bacterium . Cook all seafood to 145 ° F , and warm up up any leftovers to 165 ° F .
9. Don’t keep food hanging around.
Bacteria thrive between 40 ° fluorine and 140 ° F — which means the middling indoor sign temperature is a unadulterated breeding zona . That ’s also why you do n’t want to lead food for thought sitting out for more thantwo hours , and only one hr if it ’s above 90 ° F outdoors . Keep your electric refrigerator nice and nerveless , too — ideally below 40 ° degree Fahrenheit . And do n’t get remnant linger even in the fridge — threeor four days , max .
