Thanksgiving Safe Cooking Release 11-23-09

313 N. Figueroa Street, Room 806 · Los Angeles, CA 90012 · (213) 240-8144 · [email protected].
gov
For Immediate Release:

November 23, 2009
Spread Cheer, Not Germs this Thanksgiving

Healthy habits can help stop the spread of flu and food borne illness
LOS ANGELES – This Thanksgiving, Los Angeles County health officials urge people to
practice good hygiene and safe food handling to prevent the spread of germs and bacteria.
“Thanksgiving is a time to gather and a time to celebrate. Unfortunately, pandemic H1N1

influenza is still circulating throughout Los Angeles County. Healthy hygiene habits such as
washing your hands often and not preparing food if you are sick can help protect your family and
friends and keeps the celebration going,” said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of
Public Health and Health Officer.
To help prevent the spread of flu, everyone should wash their hands often, especially before and
after eating and after using the restroom. Cooks should wash hands thoroughly before, during
and after meal preparation, and should avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth. “If you are ill,
especially with vomiting or diarrhea, let someone else prepare the holiday meal. Friends or
family who are sick should avoid close contact with others,” said Dr. Fielding. “Everyone should
be able to enjoy a full and healthy holiday season, and these hygiene habits not only help prevent
the spread of flu, but also help prevent the spread of food borne illness.”
Each year Public Health investigates cases of food borne illness during the holidays that are the
result of undercooked food and poor food handling practices. Typical symptoms of food borne
illness (sometimes known as food poisoning) include stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, all of
which can start hours or days after consuming contaminated food or drink. For healthy people,
most symptoms usually go away after a few hours or days without treatment. But food borne
illness can be severe and even life-threatening in older adults, infants and young children,
pregnant women, and those with conditions that weaken their immune systems, such as
HIV/AIDS or cancer drug therapy.
Raw turkey, chicken, or meats can contain Campylobacter or Salmonella bacteria that cause
diarrhea and other problems. These bacteria can multiply rapidly when poultry is taken out of
refrigeration and before it is thoroughly cooked. Freezing does not kill these bacteria, but they
are destroyed when food is cooked to the proper temperature.
To thaw a turkey (by refrigerator, cold water or microwave):

• Place frozen turkey in original wrapper in the refrigerator (40° F or below). Allow
approximately 24 hours per 5 pounds of turkey. After thawing, keep turkey refrigerated
for only 1-2 days before cooking.
• A turkey that has been thawed in the refrigerator can be re-frozen. It is not recommended
to refreeze a turkey that has been thawed using other methods.
-MORE-
• Place securely wrapped turkey in cold water and change the water every 30 minutes.
Allow about 30 minutes defrosting time per pound of turkey. Cook immediately after
thawing.
• Check to see if the turkey is not too large and fits comfortably in the microwave. Check
manufacturer’s instructions for the size of turkey that will fit in your microwave oven, the
minutes per pound, and the power level to use for thawing. Cook immediately after
thawing.
To cook a turkey:
• When roasting a whole turkey, use a food thermometer to make sure it cooks to 165° F or
higher. Insert the thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, but not against the bone.
• For safety and uniform doneness, cook stuffing separately in a casserole dish.
• For pre-cooked turkey dinners, eat within 2 hours or refrigerate components separately,
then reheat to a temperature of at least 165° F.
When purchasing a fresh turkey, plan to cook it within 1-2 days after purchase. Do not buy fresh
pre-stuffed turkeys. If not handled properly, any harmful bacteria that may be in the stuffing can
multiply very quickly. Frozen pre-stuffed turkeys are safe because they have been processed
under controlled conditions. Do not thaw frozen pre-stuffed turkeys. Cook from the frozen state
by following package directions.
For all other meats:

• Follow directions to ensure thorough cooking.
• “You cannot get H1N1 flu (formerly known as swine flu) from eating ham or other pork
products. However, all meats should be roasted, barbequed, deep fried or otherwise
cooked thoroughly to at least 165° F, in order to kill bacteria that could cause food borne
illness,” said Dr. Fielding.
Other food handling tips include:

• Wash fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating or cutting into them.
• Separate raw meats and poultry from other foods such as fruits and vegetables. Avoid
cross-contamination by using separate cutting boards, knives, and platters for these foods.
• Wash cutting boards, utensils, and platters after preparing each food item and before
going on to the next item.
• Bring sauces, soups, and gravies to a rolling boil when re-heating.
• Keep hot foods hot. Use chafing dishes or pans with Sternos or other heating devices, or
keep foods in the oven at a temperature to ensure they remain at 135° F or above.
• Keep cold foods cold. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Throw out foods that should
have been kept cold, but have been left out for more than two hours.
• “Taste testing” food or drinks to see if they have spoiled is not recommended.
Raw or lightly cooked egg or egg products, used in foods such as salad dressings, cookie or cake
batter, sauces such as hollandaise sauce, and beverages such as eggnog, can cause food borne
illnesses. Avoid eating uncooked items containing raw or lightly cooked egg or egg products.
Substitute pasteurized eggs when cooking these foods.
-MORE-
For more information on safe cooking, visit the USDA website at: http://www.usda.gov/ or call
their toll-free Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854. For the Hearing Impaired: 1-800-
256-7072 (TTY). You may speak with a food safety specialist, in English or Spanish, from 10:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time during the week year round. An extensive menu of recorded food
safety messages may be heard 24 hours a day.
If you get a food borne illness, seek medical attention. Please contact the LA County Department
of Public Health at 1-888-397-3993 to report your illness.
The Department of Public Health is committed to protecting and improving the health of the
nearly 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community
partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and
community and family health. Public Health comprises more than 4,000 employees and has an
annual budget exceeding $750 million. To learn more about Public Health and the work we do,
please visit http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov, visit our YouTube channel at
http://www.youtube.com/lapublichealth, or follow us on Twitter (keyword: LAPublicHealth).
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313 N. Figueroa Street, Room 806 · Los Angeles, CA 90012 · (213) 240-8144 · [email protected].

For Immediate Release:

Spread Cheer, Not Germs this Thanksgiving

“Thanksgiving is a time to gather and a time to celebrate. Unfortunately, pandemic H1N1

To thaw a turkey (by refrigerator, cold water or microwave):

For all other meats:

Other food handling tips include:

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