11/26/2019
Courtesy of www.PAHomePage.com. Original aricle can be viewed here.
The turkey is thawing in many households in preparation for Thanksgiving. The holiday is a time to be especially careful to avoid food prep mistakes that can sicken you and your loved ones.
With more than 46 million turkeys cooked for Thanksgiving nationally, there’s no better time for a reminder on proper food handling practices to avoid a foodborne illness as Eyewitness News Healthbeat reporter Mark Hiller explains.
Turkey is something many of us don’t cook on a regular basis. And if you’re not careful, it could be a source of dangerous salmonella this Thanksgiving.
“Salmonella is a bacterial infection and it causes a lot of upset stomach, nausea, and diarrhea,” said Certified Physician Assistant Elizabeth Hreha, PA-C with MedExpress Urgent Care in Wilkes-Barre Township.
The symptoms described by Ms. Hreha can really knock you off your feet.
“The incubation period can range from hours to a couple of days. Usually it’s within 24 hours you’ll start to feel pretty ill,” she said.
Salmonella can start as simple as how you defrost the turkey. The USDA recommends defrosting it in the fridge about a day for every five pounds but if it’s still not defrosted, you can take a Thanksgiving day shortcut.
USDA Director of Food Safety Chris Bernstein said, “You want to make sure you dunk it in a cold water bath for 30 minutes and switch that water out every 30 minutes.”
You can even try defrosting the turkey in the microwave if it will fit. What the USDA says you shouldn’t do is wash or rinse the turkey before cooking it.
“It actually greatly increases your risk of cross-contamination all around the kitchen,” said Mr. Bernstein. Bacteria from the uncooked bird can find its way onto foods that do require cleaning in the sink.
Before you serve the turkey, make sure it’s cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit by inserting a meat thermometer into the innermost thigh and wing and thickest part of the breast.
When it comes to clearing the table, don’t let those leftovers linger too long. Mr. Bernstein said, “You really want to make sure that leftovers are packaged and in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking.”
Serving up a healthy feast instead of foodborne illness which causes 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths each year.
“So that’s why we want folks to take this seriously this Thanksgiving and they really should be taking food safety seriously all year round,” said Mr. Bernstein.
Some other safety precautions? Wash your hands thoroughly and clean and sanitize all kitchen surfaces after handling any raw meat or poultry. If you do get sick and can’t keep down liquids, don’t mess around and seek medical treatment.