Public health organizations remind people of safe food handling tips for the holidays

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

According to the USDA, foodborne germs cause 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths nationwide. Due to its size and commonly frozen nature, the USDA has specific tips on how to cook a turkey in time for Thursday's holiday.

When choosing a turkey, the FDA recommends 1 pound of turkey per person. Fresh turkeys should be bought one to two days in advance of cooking and kept in the refrigerator on a pan to catch any leaks. Frozen turkey can be left in the freezer indefinitely but can be cooked within 1 year for the best quality. When thawed, the turkey is safe for one to two days.

The USDA adds that consumers should only purchase frozen pre-stuffed turkeys with the USDA or state mark of inspection, as fresh turkeys can contain bacteria inside the stuffing that can multiply quickly. Pre-stuffed turkeys do not need to be thawed before cooking and should be prepared following the package directions.

Frozen turkeys can be thawed in the refrigerator or cold water. However, experts recommend refrigerator thawing as a safer method.

"The refrigerator is the safest method to thaw a turkey and you want to give about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds that the bird has," Columbia, Boone County Public Health and Human Services public information specialist Austin Krone said.

Cold water thawing is faster but typically needs more attention. The USDA recommends the water be changed every 30 minutes and the turkey must be cooked immediately after thawing.

The turkey should also be completely thawed if deep-fried to decrease the risk of any explosions or oil fires.

Unless it is brined, turkey and other poultry do not need to be rinsed ahead of time since the heat required for cooking kills the bacteria.

Countertops should also be cleaned with hot, soapy water after preparing raw meat to avoid cross-contamination.

For cooking, ovens should be set no lower than 325 degrees. According to the USDA, 66% of people do not use food thermometers correctly and they recommend taking the turkey's temperature on the thigh, wing and thickest part of the breast.

"So when we're checking our temperature, you want to make sure that you get that thermometer all the way into the deepest part of the meat and you're going to look for 165 degrees," Nichols said.

It is also not recommended to cook the turkey with raw stuffing inside. If cooked with stuffing, the stuffing should also reach a temperature of 165 degrees. Wet and dry stuffing ingredients should also not sit combined ahead of time and should remain separate from each other until cooking

Columbia Chef Ashley Nichols of Back 2 Basics Cooking recommends purchasing a proper meat thermometer that sticks inside of the bird for a more accurate reading.

When picking ingredients, it's important to avoid dented cans as there are risks of the can being punctured.

According to Krone, in a buffet setting, no refrigerated foods should sit out for longer than two hours. Nichols adds that most people tend to forget about this risk.

"You get into visiting with family and forget, 'Oh, we have all this wonderful food out and all these leftovers,' so you do want to keep in mind not to keep the food out longer than 2 hours and if you have cold items, it's good when you're serving it to put it over ice," Nichols said.

When packaged, it's important to make sure the food cools completely before packaging.

The USDA says that leftovers must be cooled to prevent bacterial growth and wrapped securely in airtight packaging. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days and frozen indefinitely. Food must be reheated to 165 degrees. It is also safe to reheat already reheated leftovers as long as they were refrozen.

In the case of foodborne illness, it's important to keep track of any suspected food wrappers, call the local health department and call the USDA meat and poultry hotline if the food is a USDA-inspected product. All victims of the illness should seek treatment if there are severe symptoms like excessive vomiting or high temperature.