Thanksgiving Holiday Food Safety Tips (2024)

FAQs

Thanksgiving Holiday Food Safety Tips? ›

Refrigerate leftovers at 40°F (4°C) or colder within 2 hours of serving to prevent food poisoning. Slice or divide big cuts of meat, such as a roast turkey, into small quantities for refrigeration so they can cool quickly. Reheat all leftovers to at least 165°F (74°C) before serving.

First, keep raw meat, poultry and seafood away from raw or ready-to-eat foods. For example, do not prepare your raw turkey next to where you are preparing a salad, or do not cut produce on a cutting board that had raw meat on it without washing it thoroughly first.

A food thermometer should be used to ensure a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F has been reached to destroy bacteria and prevent foodborne illness. Many variables can affect the roasting time of a whole turkey: A partially frozen turkey requires longer cooking. A stuffed turkey takes longer to cook.

How to Properly Store Thanksgiving Leftovers. Hot or cold foods at room temperature should be left out no longer than two hours—that number goes down to one hour when the temperature is over 90 degrees. If food has been left out for more than two hours, it's best to throw it away.

The answer is simple: leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four days. This means you have until the Monday after Thanksgiving to eat all those delicious leftovers or place them in the freezer to enjoy later. If you store leftovers in the freezer, they will be of best quality within 2-6 months.

But a few things are guaranteed, no matter where I am or who I'm with: There will be turkey; there will be stuffing; there will be cranberry sauce, gravy, potatoes, and pie.

How to safely have Thanksgiving dinner? ›

To avoid cross-contamination, use separate cutting boards, plates, and utensils when handling raw turkey. Wash items that have touched raw meat with warm soap and water or place them in a dishwasher. Cook the turkey until it reaches 165 °F, as measured by a food thermometer.

Clostridium perfringens is sometimes referred to as the "buffet germ," because it grows fastest in large portions, such as casseroles, stews and gravies that have been sitting at room temperature in the danger zone. Salmonella bacteria are also a common contaminant.

Also known as food poisoning, foodborne illnesses occur when you eat something contaminated with disease-causing germs, including bacteria, parasites or viruses, and are left with an unpleasant bout of gastrointestinal symptoms, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ready-to-eat foods: If you're not eating a freshly cooked Thanksgiving dinner, avoid ready-to-eat meats, canned vegetables, and soups. They are packed with sodium. One cup of creamed corn can contain 700 mg of sodium. Pumpkin pie: You're going to hate us but pumpkin pie is filled with fat, calories and sodium.

There are many reasons, but primarily: Historically, dinner became before supper; it makes for a more relaxed day; it's simply tradition; it's more convenient for traveling guests; and, of course, to watch football.

A package of frozen meat or poultry left thawing on the counter more than 2 hours is not at a safe temperature. Even though the center of the package may still be frozen, the outer layer of the food is in the "Danger Zone" between 40 and 140 °F — at a temperature where foodborne bacteria multiply rapidly.

The best way to prevent illness from salmonella is to thaw your turkey properly, cook it thoroughly, and wash your hands and any kitchen surfaces that come into contact with raw meat.

Can I eat Thanksgiving leftovers on Monday? ›

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday was the last day people should keep Thanksgiving leftovers in the refrigerator. The USDA noted that the food is safe to eat for only four days after initially cooked, if kept properly stored in the fridge.

If you're all about fresh flavor and don't want to make too much ahead, do yourself a favor and at least make your appetizers and pies the night before. Desserts like pumpkin pie, pecan pie, or apple pie are actually better baked a day ahead, so their fillings have time to set up for a clean slice.

USDA recommends using cooked turkey within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. Turkey can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer.

Just the simple action of munching on the raw vegetables from a crudités creates additional saliva to help wash away lingering bacteria. Calcium, and other minerals from nuts, also strengthen and remineralize teeth while chewing these crunchy bites produce extra saliva to prevent decay.

Tipping is a practice readily visible in everyday American culture, but the season of giving around holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas often makes room for even more generosity. Survey respondents overwhelmingly said they were more likely to leave gratuities more frequently than normal.

Here's an important Thanksgiving food safety tip that will surprise many: USDA doesn't recommend stuffing a whole turkey. The practice increases the risk of cross-contamination and takes the turkey longer to cook. Cook stuffing separately instead.

The USDA Food Patterns represent the types and amounts of food groups that aim to provide sufficient nutrients or food components (e.g., fiber) to meet Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) and Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations, at various energy levels, by age-sex groups ages 2 years and older.