NL Holiday Food Safety 101

As we enter into the month of December, the season of holiday cooking and gift giving, food safety is something we need to keep in the forefront of our minds. So much to do with this time of year has to do with food.  Entertaining with food and drink at home, attending work parties and socials, and buying and receiving delicious holiday gifts. If one thing is for certain, it is that December is a month for food, and plenty of it.

When preparing your own food, keep in mind foods which can be potentially hazardous. If making holiday eggnog with raw egg, be sure to cook the mixture thoroughly to a minimum temperature of 63 degrees Celsius. There’s no amount of Screech that can kill any bad bacteria like Salmonella! When using raw eggs, cooking to a minimum internal temperature is really the only way. Give ample time for that turkey to defrost too. Thawing on the counter is not a good method as room temperature is an ideal breeding ground for microbes. The fridge is the ideal thawing mechanism for this sort of large food. A general rule of thumb is to allow one day for every four pounds of meat. Stuffing has the potential to be a hazardous food for bacteria growth as it insulates the bird and may prevent it from reaching a proper internal cooking temperature (85 degrees Celsius). Cook stuffing separate from the bird to ensure maximal food safety. Be mindful of bacteria buffets. A lot of food can float around during the holidays. If food is kept out and unrefrigerated for more than two hours it should be thrown out. If refrigerated leftovers aren’t used or frozen within three days, it’s wise to discard these too. A food borne illness can keep you near the bathroom for days, and worse yet, in the hospital. Either way, neither is a fun way to spend the holidays.

Be mindful of homemade holiday gifts. Although it be healthy, and have that extra though put in, a homemade oil and garlic mixture can in reality be downright deadly. In their separate states, oil and garlic aren’t considered to be hazardous, but when combined they have potential to be a recipe for disaster. Garlic, which is grown in the ground, has the potential to have specific microorganisms which when added to an environment without air (e.g. oil) can create a breeding ground for a deadly food borne intoxication known as botulism. If you are in the practice of home canning goodies to give to friends and family, be sure you are aware of safe food handling practices for canning. Botulism can be an unwanted visitor in home canning as well. Should you decide to mail a perishable gift, make sure the food is frozen solid or refrigerator cold. Use an insulated cooler with gel ice packs, label the package as ‘perishable, keep refrigerated’. Don’t forget to notify your gift recipient of their impending package too.

If restaurant and take-out gift certificates are an item on your holiday shopping list, be sure to check out the new government site which now features food safety inspection reports from all eating establishments across the province. Here you can find information on critical and non-critical safety and compliance for preferred eateries, from routine inspections, consumer complaints, and inspections for food recalls or food borne illness and infection outbreaks.  Before you purchase that gift card, take a moment to locate the report on that favorite eating establishment. Visit http://www.servicenl.gov.nl.ca/inspections/index.html for more information.

As seen in The Telegram December 3, 2012