Dr. Mary McKenzie, CHI Memorial Integrative Medicine AssociatesQ: I know it won’t be long before I will be in the kitchen, cooking up a storm for the holidays. I often bring the food to a family member’s house. How do I make sure I’m preparing and storing the foods I make properly to make sure no one gets sick?
A: The No. 1 prevention tip for food safety is cleanliness. Wash your hands and surfaces frequently. Wash fruits and vegetables under running water before using them. Prevent cross-contamination by using two cutting boards, one for vegetables and fruits and one for raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs.
You need to cook your foods to the correct temperature. Don’t rely on color or texture. Use a food thermometer. Safe temperatures are 145 degrees for whole meats, 160 degrees for ground meats and 165 degrees for all poultry. Temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees are known as the “Danger Zone,” the right temperature for germs to grow. They also can grow within two hours unless you refrigerate the food. When you are reheating food to be served at a holiday celebration, be sure to heat it to 165 degrees to kill any bacteria that may have formed.
– Dr. Mary McKenzie, CHI Memorial Integrative Medicine Associates
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