Tips to enjoy the family feast and skip the unplanned medical trips
Late fall and winter are the seasons for warm in-home fires, candles, and feasts with family and friends. These might be large gatherings with a big buffet of hot food, or a smaller party with desserts to share. Take extra steps this season to ensure that you and your guests have an enjoyable experience, and fond memories from the feasts! This post includes some important tips and is not an exhaustive list of ways to prevent foodborne illness!
You might know about your friends’ major food allergies (e.g., peanuts or fish), but many people also have sensitivities to ingredients like dairy or gluten. It is important to ask your guests about food allergens or sensitivities before the big day. Some sensitivities, like Lactose Intolerance, can be managed and so people may not mention that they need “dairy free” or “lactose free” options. Providing labels for guests to indicate what ingredients are in their dishes, and who brought the dish allows guests to ask questions about the dish, and decide for themselves whether they can eat it or not.
Set out enough serving utensils so that they do not have to be used for more than one dish. This helps avoid cross-contamination and is especially important if you have guests who have severe allergies, also called anaphylaxis allergies. If you do not have enough for the dishes, ask your guests to bring some. It’s easy to ask guests who are bringing a dish to also provide a serving utensil.
Allergies are not the only thing that can be a problem at feasts and parties. Foodborne illnesses can affect anyone. However, some groups are more vulnerable to severe illness. These groups include young children under 5 years old, adults over 65 years, pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems. To prevent foodborne illnesses, here are some practices to keep in mind.
Think twice before washing your chicken and turkeys! The CDC explains that chicken and turkey at the store comes ready to cook and that washing meat is no longer needed. The USDA provides science and states that washing meat is no longer recommended because of the high potential for spreading germs around the kitchen. However, if you are going to wash your meat, it is important to thoroughly wash the area when you are done. This includes the entire sink and counter space immediately around it. If you notice water spraying to other areas of the kitchen, like the floor, or counter farther away, wash those too. The areas you wash should be washed with soap and warm water. Then, sanitize with either a commercial product or 1 tablespoon of liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water. The surface should be completely dry before you use it again for food (USDA).
Keep perishable food out at room temperature for no more than 2 hours. This includes cold items like cottage cheese and milk, along with cooked goods. Some baked goods are also perishable. When it is time to store food, keep food below 40 degrees. Dangerous bacteria that cause illness can grow in the “danger zone” which is usually 40-140°F.
Pay close attention to the temperature when reheating meat. This varies depending on the type of meat. Use a meat thermometer and make sure to insert the tip to the middle of the product. Turkey, chicken and precooked ham generally need to be cooked to at least 165°F while raw ham has a minimum temperature of 145°F. Be sure to read the label or tag on the product, and follow the instructions listed.
Following these steps, along with any others printed on products themselves, will help you and your loved ones enjoy any feasts you are having without the chaos of food-related illness. While this post did not discuss preventing other types of illness at parties and feasts, you should always practice washing hands. An RHI blog post from last month explains the benefits of handwashing and ways to teach proper technique. Staying home when you are under the weather or sick can also prevent spreading any germs, virus or bacterial infection that you may have. We hope that you have a lovely holiday season and stay healthy!
