Thanksgiving can be so fun and solemn that we sometimes forget about food safety. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, foodborne diseases result in approximately 48 million illnesses annually in the United States.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is the public health regulatory agency responsible for the safety of meat, poultry, and egg products. The agency provides instructions on the four steps to food safety – cleaning, separating, cooking, and refrigerating – as well as advice on how to safely thaw and soak turkeys at fsis.usda.gov.
This year, the USDA is also offering these 5 tips on how to deal with leftovers.
Remember the two hour rule: refrigerate or freeze perishable items within two hours of leaving the oven or refrigerator. After two hours, the food enters the “Danger Zone” (between 40 F and 140 F), where bacteria can multiply quickly.
Use Flat Containers: Use flat containers to break up your Thanksgiving meal into smaller portions. This will keep the temperature of the food more even.
Freeze or Eat Within Four Days: The Monday after Thanksgiving is the last day you can safely eat leftovers. If you want to keep leftovers longer, freeze them within those four days. You can freeze food indefinitely, although the quality may decrease after 6 months.
Reheat Safely: Make sure your reheated leftovers reach 165 F. Measure this with a food thermometer. Bring sauces and sauces to a boil on the stove to reheat safely.
Microwave Safe: Microwaves have cold spots, so arrange your food evenly in a microwaveable bowl, cover and rotate to heat it evenly. After a rest period, check the internal temperature of the food in several places with a food thermometer.
The USDA offers a meat and poultry hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854). You can also email MPHotline@usda.gov to reach out to a food safety expert or chat live at ask.usda.gov from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Thanksgiving Day.
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