Sep 19, 2024
Unsafe handling and undercooking of your holiday bird can cause foodborne illness. Listen as Ericka Shipley, BSN, RN, CIC, CNOR, Manager of Infection Prevention, shares tips to keep your Thanksgiving safe and delicious!
I'm Erica Shipley manager of infection prevention at United Hospital Center. I'm so glad you could join me to discuss a few safety tips in preparing your holiday meal. You want to always start out by making sure that you wash your hands for 20 seconds at least with soap and warm water before any meal preparation. As you work in the kitchen, make sure you wash your hands often as you touch different surfaces and food items. All of your utensils, plates, countertops, cutting boards should be washed. Make sure to wipe all of your appliance handles down also. But one item that you never want to wash is the turkey chicken or other fowl. As you can spread bacteria all over your kitchen if you do, these bacteria can be present inside and outside of the bird and cannot be washed off but rather when we cook at the appropriate temperature will destroy any bacteria. While that golden brown color is something that we love, you cannot tell if your turkey is done by color alone. It is critical to continually check the temperature of your turkey as it is not safe to eat until it reaches 165 degrees. You also need to remember to ensure any stuffing cooked with the turkey reaches the same temperature. There are three places on your turkey where you will want to check the temperature first the thickest part of the breast, then the innermost part of the wing and the innermost part of the thigh. Once we remove the turkey from the oven, we need to let it rest for 20 minutes before we carve to allow the juices to settle. I always suggest that if you have specific questions during your meal preparation, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1888 mp hotline or visit asked usda.gov Both are great resources when you need assistance during meal preparation from all of us at United Hospital Center. We want to keep you safe, especially as you enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday meal with your friends and family. Have a happy Thanksgiving!
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