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November 17, 2006; Updated November 25, 2008
The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encourages consumers to pay special attention to the handling and preparation of foods during the upcoming holiday season. Keep in mind that the elderly, children, and individuals with weakened immune systems – including pregnant women – are especially at risk of foodborne illnesses.
Because the holidays present special food safety challenges, precautions are necessary in handling, cooking, and refrigerating foods. To help ensure that holiday foods are not only delicious but also safe, FDA suggests taking these steps to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses:
Be careful to keep your holiday foods chilled properly. Keep these foods refrigerated:
For many families, salads, vegetable dishes and fruit are an important part of holiday meals and entertaining.
Keep fruits and vegetables that will be eaten raw separate from other foods such as raw meat, poultry or seafood - and from kitchen utensils used for those products.
In addition, be sure to wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils and counter tops with hot water and soap between the preparation of raw meat, poultry and seafood products and the preparation of produce that will not be cooked.
FDA advises consumers not to eat uncooked cookie dough, homemade or commercial, or batters made with raw fresh eggs because raw fresh eggs may contain bacteria that can cause an intestinal infection called salmonellosis. Thorough cooking kills the bacteria that cause the infection. If any holiday recipes call for raw or lightly-cooked eggs, you can:
Traditional eggnog made with raw eggs may also present the same risk to consumers -- salmonellosis. While cooking can destroy the disease-causing bacteria, consumers can still become ill when the eggnog is left at room temperature for several hours before being consumed. Safe alternatives are pasteurized eggnog beverages sold in grocery dairy cases; these products should be kept refrigerated.
Apple cider is often served during the holiday season. Apple cider and most juices are pasteurized or otherwise treated to destroy harmful bacteria. Some pasteurized juice can be found in the refrigerated or frozen sections of stores. Pasteurized or treated juice is often shelf-stable and is normally found in the non-refrigerated juice section of stores. It's packaged in boxes, bottles, or cans. Unpasteurized or untreated juice is normally found in the refrigerated sections of grocery stores, health-food stores, cider mills or farm markets. Such juices must have this warning on the label:
WARNING: This product has not been pasteurized and therefore, may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.
If you can't tell whether a juice has been processed to destroy harmful bacteria, either don't use the product or boil it to kill any harmful bacteria.
Thawing the turkey completely before cooking is important and necessary to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Allow the correct amount of time to properly thaw and cook a whole turkey. For example, a 20-pound turkey needs four to five days to thaw completely when thawed in the refrigerator at a temperature of no more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. A stuffed turkey needs 4 ¼ to 5 ¾ hours to cook completely.
To check a turkey for doneness, insert a food thermometer into the inner thigh area near the breast of the turkey but not touching bone. The turkey is done when the temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If the turkey is stuffed, the temperature of the stuffing should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
It's always best to cook seafood thoroughly to minimize the risk of foodborne illness. If, however, you choose to eat raw fish, one rule of thumb is to eat fish that has been previously frozen prior to purchase. Commercial freezing techniques can kill many harmful parasites found in some raw fish. Be aware, however, that freezing doesn't kill all harmful microorganisms. That's why the safest route is to cook all seafood.
Keep in mind that some people are at greater risk for foodborne illness and should not eat raw or partially cooked fish or shellfish. These susceptible groups include: pregnant women, young children, older adults, persons whose immune systems are compromised, and persons who have decreased stomach acidity.
Some oysters are treated for safety after they are harvested. That information may or may not be on the label. However, these oysters should still not be eaten raw by people who are at greater risk for foodborne illness. The post-harvest treatment eliminates some naturally occurring pathogens, but it does not remove all pathogens that cause illness.
If food is sent via a mail-order company, be sure to specify overnight delivery, and request that the company supply a frozen gel-pack or dry ice in the packaging. This will help ensure that the food will arrive at your destination firm and refrigerator cold.
Note: Remember, it's the shipper's responsibility to deliver perishable foods on time, but it's the customer's responsibility to have someone at home to receive the package. See information about FDA's prior notice policy for sending gifts to your friends and family.
Additional resources for consumers are available at the following websites and toll-free telephone numbers: