Originally Published by US Department of Agriculture
America’s biggest food holiday is almost here, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants to remind consumers to avoid habits that increase the risk of harmful bacteria in their Thanksgiving meal.
“Unsafe handling and undercooking your turkey can cause foodborne illness,” said USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Emilio Esteban. “To ensure your Thanksgiving meal is wholesome and memorable without the illness, follow the four steps to food safety: clean, separate, cook and chill, and avoid risky food handling habits that go against USDA guidelines.”
Here are seven dangerous habits USDA would like consumers to drop:
- Not washing your hands or kitchen surfaces before, during and after food prep
- Using the same cutting boards and utensils for raw and ready-to-eat foods
- Defrosting your turkey on the kitchen counter
- Cooking your turkey overnight at a low temperature
- Relying only on a pop-up temperature indicator
- Stuffing your turkey the night before
- Keeping leftovers for more than a week
>>CLICK HERE to Read the Full Article on USDA.gov
