Thanksgiving Food Safety
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

Thanksgiving Food Safety

As you pull together the menu for next week’s Thanksgiving meal, it's crucial to prioritize food safety to ensure a memorable and illness-free celebration. Proper handling, preparation, and storage techniques will help ensure a worry-free feast that gets remembered for all the right reasons.

Here’s what you need to know:

Thawing

Proper thawing is essential for food safety. The safest method is to thaw your turkey in the refrigerator.

  • Thaw your turkey in the refrigerator.

    • Keep your turkey in its original wrapping and place it in a container before putting it in the refrigerator to prevent turkey juice from dripping on other food.

    • Allow about 24 hours of thawing for each 4 to 5 pounds of turkey.

    • A turkey thawed in the refrigerator can remain in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days before cooking.

  • Thaw your turkey in cold water.

    • Be sure your turkey is in a leakproof plastic bag before you place it in the sink.

      • The bag will prevent the turkey juice from spreading in the kitchen.

      • The bag also will prevent the turkey from absorbing water, which could make your cooked turkey runny.

    • Completely cover your turkey with cold tap water.

    • Change the water every 30 minutes.

    • Allow about 30 minutes of thawing for each pound of turkey.

    • A turkey thawed in cold water must be cooked immediately after thawing.

  • Thaw your turkey in the microwave.

    • Follow the microwave manufacturer’s instructions for thawing your turkey.

    • A turkey thawed in the microwave must be cooked immediately after thawing.

Never thaw your turkey by leaving it out on the counter. A turkey must thaw at a safe temperature. When a turkey stays out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, its temperature becomes unsafe even if the center is still frozen. Germs can grow rapidly in the “danger zone” between 40°F and 140°F.

Get more information about thawing turkeys.

Preparation

Contrary to popular belief, washing your turkey before cooking is not recommended. This practice can spread bacteria up to three feet away, increasing the risk of cross-contamination.

Instead, focus on proper cooking to eliminate harmful pathogens.

Cooking

To ensure your turkey is thoroughly cooked:

  • Set your oven temperature to at least 325°F.

  • Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature in three locations: the innermost part of the thigh, the innermost part of the wing, and the thickest part of the breast.

  • The turkey is safe to eat when all three locations reach 165°F.

Cross-Contamination Prevention

Avoid spreading bacteria by using separate cutting boards, plates, and utensils for raw turkey and ready-to-eat foods.

Clean and sanitize all surfaces that have come in contact with raw poultry, including countertops, sinks, and utensils.

Stuffing Safety

For optimal safety, cook stuffing separately in a baking dish rather than inside the turkey.

If you choose to stuff your turkey, follow these guidelines:

  • Prepare wet and dry ingredients separately and refrigerate until ready to use.

  • Mix ingredients just before filling the turkey cavity.

  • Stuff the turkey loosely, using about 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound.

  • Cook the stuffed turkey immediately in an oven set no lower than 325°F.

Leftover Management

Proper handling of leftovers is crucial to prevent foodborne illness:

  • Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of cooking.

  • Store food in shallow containers to promote rapid cooling.

  • Consume refrigerated leftovers within 3-4 days.

  • For longer storage, freeze leftovers in airtight containers or freezer bags.

Additional Safety Tips

  • Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before, during, and after food preparation.

  • Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of all dishes, including casseroles and reheated items.

  • Keep hot foods hot (above 140°F) and cold foods cold (below 40°F) to avoid the "danger zone" where bacteria multiply rapidly.

  • If you're unsure about the safety of a food item, remember the adage: "When in doubt, throw it out.”

By following these guidelines, you can feel confident you’re sharing a savory and savory meal for all your guests.  

For additional tips on preparing and roasting a turkey—including a roasting time calculator—visit the FDA Turkey Basics website.

 

Russell Carrier is the nutrition and dinning kitchen manager at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center

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A Note from SVMC Dentistry

Unlike many other types of health care, most dental procedures require that a patient be present in the office with their mouth uncovered and wide open. In addition, many dental procedures, produce a lot of spray or aerosolized particles that could spread infection. For these reasons, reopening dental offices while COVID-19 circulates requires many strict precautions to ensure safety for patients and staff.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Vermont Department of Health have issued the requirements necessary to reopen our office for patient care. For the next few months, the changes lessen by half the number of patients we are able to see per day and dramatically change the care experience.

Here are some of the changes we've made:

  • We are screening and testing our staff, and all staff are wearing more protective equipment than ever, including treatment gowns and gloves, head coverings, facemasks (such as surgical masks, N95 masks, or respirators), and face-shields, as required during treatment procedures.
  • Patients can use the "virtual" waiting room to lessen the number of people in our waiting room and observe social distancing. We ask that only one person accompany a patient to a dental appointment and only if the patient needs assistance.
  • We screen patients at the Medical Office Building entrance to ensure they have no symptoms and that they are wearing a facemask. Patients must wear their facemask at all times, except during the actual treatment.
  • Some preventive care and treatments carry a higher risk for producing airborne oral droplets. These procedures may be modified to ensure that care is safe.
  • Most dramatically, depending on the dental treatment, a room must remain idle for 15 minutes - 1 hour to allow droplets to settle before disinfection. This limits the number of patients that we can treat each day.

While it is very disappointing to us—after all, we became dentists and hygienists because we like to provide dental care—all existing appointments will be suspended and a new schedule will be created, based on the time it takes for a room to be disinfected. We understand that this is frustrating for patients who must wait longer than usual for an appointment, but it is also necessary to make care safe for all.

Major changes to the ventilation systems—the installation of HEPA filtration and negative-pressure in our treatment rooms—will eliminate airborne droplets more quickly and enable us to see more patients per day. This change is expected to be complete later this summer.

In the meantime, we appreciate your patience as we meet your needs as best we can. We encourage you to continue vigilant home care and reach out to us with your questions. Most of all, we look forward to returning to a more normal time when we can deliver all of the dental care our community needs safely and efficiently.

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