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Ready or not, the holidays are here. It’s a time when many Americans accustomed to preparing simple meals find themselves responsible for safely serving multi-dish feasts.
It’s no easy task. Outbreaks of some types of food poisoning tend to rise in November and December, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tainted turkey, undercooked stuffing and germ-laced gravy from holiday buffets have all led to past illnesses – and even deaths – CDC investigators have found.
It can be tricky for occasional cooks to prepare big meals in a way that avoids the common hazards that can make people sick, said Donald Schaffner, a food science expert at Rutgers University.
SEE ALSO: First-time Thanksgiving cook? Advice on turkey thawing, leftover storing and avoiding disaster
“Cooking takes longer with big masses of food. Cooling takes longer with big masses of food”, said Schaffner, who co-hosts the food-safety podcast “Risky or Not?”
Together with podcast co-host Benjamin Chapman, a food scientist at North Carolina State University, Schaffner outlined common ways to keep holiday meals both festive and safe.Prepare the turkey
Nearly 90% of U.S. hosts plan to serve turkey on Thanksgiving this year, according to the turkey producer Butterball.
But raw turkey can harbor illness-causing bacteria such as salmonella, campylobacter and other germs. It must be handled safely to prevent those bugs from contaminating refrigerator surfaces, sinks and kitchen counters.
