TULSA, OK \u2013 [December 13, 2018] \u2013\u00a0Tulsa Health Department\u2019s Food Protection Services Program is reminding Tulsa County residents that if you\u2019re cooking for friends and family this holiday season, it\u2019s important to make sure you\u2019re not spreading bacteria that can cause harmful foodborne illnesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot of ways individuals can unknowingly be contaminating food for others at home,\u201d said DeBrena Hilton, food protection services program manager.\u00a0 \u201cWe stress using a food thermometer to check final cook temperatures of meat to make sure that safe internal cooking temperatures are reached before serving.\u00a0 We also emphasize taking precautions against spreading harmful bacteria from raw meat and poultry onto other surfaces or food items in the kitchen such as spice containers, refrigerator door handles and water faucet handles.\u00a0 Be sure to keep everything clean and keep surfaces sanitized.\u201d<\/p>\n
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that millions of Americans are sickened with foodborne illnesses (also known as food poisoning) each year, resulting in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. Children, older adults and those with compromised immune systems are especially at risk.<\/p>\n
U.S. Department of Agriculture urges you to not fall into bad food preparation habits by always following these four steps to food safety:
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0Clean your hands thoroughly for a full 20 seconds with soapy water. Always serve food on clean plates and avoid reusing plates that previously held raw meat and poultry.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0Separate raw meat, poultry and egg products from ready-to-eat foods.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0Cook, using a food thermometer to make sure food reaches a safe minimum internal temperature:\u00a0
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 o\u00a0Beef, pork, lamb and veal (steaks, chops and roasts): 145\u00b0F with a three minute rest.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 o\u00a0Ground beef, pork, lamb and veal: 160\u00b0F.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 o\u00a0Poultry (whole or ground): 165\u00b0F.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0Chill leftovers within two hours of cooking. Keep track of how long items have been sitting on the buffet table and discard anything that has been out longer than two hours.<\/p>\n
If you are transporting food items to a holiday party, keep hot foods hot (140\u00b0F or above) and cold foods cold (40\u00b0F or below). Use separate, insulated containers for hot and cold foods, and make sure that cold foods are packed with cold sources, such as ice or frozen gel packs. The best way to ensure that food is being held at a safe temperature while you are traveling is to place an appliance thermometer in the cooler.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are unaware of the right temperature to cook your holiday ham or if you\u2019re wondering if it\u2019s time to throw out those party leftovers, the USDA has a lot of resources to help,\u201d Hilton said.\u00a0 \u201cTheir FoodKeeper app, available for both Android and iOS devices, is a quick and easy resource to use at home to check storage times and preparation tips for more than 500 food items.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information on food safety tips, please call 918-582-9355 or visit\u00a0https:\/\/www.tulsa-health.org\/healthy-lifestyles\/healthy-eating\/keeping-food-safe-home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TULSA, OK \u2013 [December 13, 2018] \u2013\u00a0Tulsa Health Department\u2019s Food Protection Services Program is reminding Tulsa County residents that if you\u2019re cooking for friends and family this holiday season, it\u2019s important to make sure you\u2019re not spreading bacteria that can cause harmful foodborne illnesses. \u201cThere are a lot of ways individuals can unknowingly be contaminating […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n