1. Holiday Food Safety Basics for busy people ! Dr. Rob Williams Dept. of Food Science and Technology

2.  Clean  Separate  Cook  Chill Consistent practice is important to your family’s health! LET’S TALK ABOUT BASICS! 4 core home practices

3. The 4 food safety practices Clean. Why? Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get on hands, utensils and countertops. Separate. Why? Cross-contamination is how bacteria spreads. Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs away from ready-to-eat foods.

4. The 4 food safety practices Cook. Why? Improper heating & preparation of food means bacteria can survive. Chill. Why? Bacteria grows fastest between 40 °F and 140 °F. Proper chilling is important to reducing risk of illness.

5. Clean Wash hands & surfaces often

6. Separate Don’t cross-contaminate

7. Cook Use a food thermometer!

8. Chill Refrigerate promptly!

9. Holiday Leftovers Safety Quiz How long can you safely keep leftover perishable foods? …and at what temp?

10.  Leftovers should be eaten or frozen within 3-4 days. Reheat to 165 °F.  Chill leftover turkey, stuffing & other foods within 2 hours of your feast.  Your fridge should be 40 °F or colder. Use an appliance thermometer to measure fridge temperature!

11. What is the safe temp for turkey? Turkey Safety Quiz …and how do you tell it’s done?

12.  Cook turkey to a safe minimum internal temp of 165 °F.  Measure with a food thermometer!  You can’t tell food is safely cooked by looking at it!

14. And always before and after handling food … A full 20 seconds with warm water & soap ! Sing Happy Birthday twice!

15. For more information & free home downloads Safe – kitchen, turkey, leftovers Fun – recipes & activities for kids Easy – organizers & shopping lists Tasty – menus, recipes & more! www.HolidayFoodSafety.org

16. Thank you! Robert C. Williams, Ph.D. Associate Professor Food Microbiologist Dept. of Food Science and Technology rowilli3@vt.edu 540-231-4106