Food Safety Tips For Holiday Meals

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(Lancaster) – Over the last few years the holidays have been filled with warnings about COVID-19 and cautionary tales of super spreader events. With more and more people receiving the vaccine, holiday gatherings are becoming common place again. Aside from COVID, there are other factors that can make or break your holiday gathering. One we shouldn’t forget is food safety. What could be worse than going to a holiday party and then coming down with food poisoning? 

Here are some things you can do to ensure the food you serve at your holiday gathering is safe, from the Fairfield Health Department: 

CLEAN: First is to clean. When prepping and preparing your holiday meal, make sure to wash your hands with hot water and soap versus hand sanitizer, as hand sanitizer may not kill all germs. Rinse all fruits and vegetables and make sure to clean food preparation surfaces thoroughly. 

SEPERATE: Second, make sure to separate foods. Keep raw foods away from ready-to-eat foods. To avoid cross-contaminiation, use separate cutting boards for fruits and vegetables and raw meats, fish, and poultry. 

COOK: Third, cook all food properly to prevent bacterial growth. Beef, pork, fish, and lamb should be cooked to 145 °F; ground beef, pork, and lamb to 160 °F; and turkey, chicken and duck to 165 °F. 

CHILL: Finally, chill foods properly. Thaw all frozen foods under refrigeration or cool running water. Do not leave foods out on countertops or tables for more than 2 hours. Foods like cut melon, tomatoes, and leafy greens especially, have potential for bacterial growth if left outside of refrigeration for too long.

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