Dear Doctor Column, November 23, 2009

Keeping Food Safe During the Holidays

Question:

This Thanksgiving I’m taking a turkey to my parents, who live about 2 hours away. Are there any special precautions I should take to prevent food poisoning? Would it be safer to cook the turkey partially at my home and finish cooking it at my parent’s house? What if I want to slow cook the turkey the night before we leave so it’s ready to go the next morning?

Answer:

Food safety always is an important but sometimes overlooked issue. It is essential around the holidays, when people tend to transport food for meals with family and friends, events you don’t want ruined by an uncomfortable or dangerous bout of food poisoning.

 

Each year in the United States, approximately 76 million people get sick, more than 300,000 are hospitalized, and 5000 Americans die from food-borne illnesses. The following advice can help you and your family stay healthy.

Addressing your specific questions, do not partially cook the bird, and forget about slow cooking it. With proper planning and precautions, you should be able to transport your fully cooked holiday turkey safely to your parents' home. Most germs that cause food poisoning can be killed or inactivated with proper cooking and refrigeration.

One of the most common causes of food poisoning is the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, which is often present on your hands and in your nose. When transferred to food through improper handling, these bacteria can grow and produce toxins responsible for food poisoning, which can cause diarrhea and sometimes, fever, nausea, and vomiting.

Campylobacter also can cause fever, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. It is the most commonly identified bacterial cause of diarrheal illness in the world, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Campylobacter live in the intestines of healthy birds and can be found in most raw poultry. Eating undercooked chicken or food contaminated with raw-chicken juices is the most frequent source of this infection.

Salmonella bacteria, another common cause of food poisoning, are often found in the environment and the intestinal tracts of humans and animals. Raw and undercooked poultry, meat, and eggs often contain these bacteria, as does unpasteurized milk. Other food-borne pathogens include the well-publicized E coli bacterium and Clostridium perfringens (called the cafeteria germ) and Listeria monocytogenes, which can grow in food not kept cold or hot enough.

The effects of food-borne illness range from a minor upset stomach to severe diarrhea causing dehydration to neurological damage to kidney failure and death. Symptoms may develop immediately, or may not appear for several days. For most healthy adults, the problems are neither long-lasting nor life-threatening. For infants, small children, seniors, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, food-borne illness can be severe or even fatal.

According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), if you decide to cook the turkey ahead of time, you should not take the whole bird intact on your trip. Here’s what to do: Cook the turkey in an oven set no lower than 325°F. Check to be sure the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 180°F in the innermost part of the thigh (center of the stuffing should reach 165°F) before removing it from the oven. Cook a turkey breast to 170°F. Juices should run clear.

Let the bird stand 20 minutes before removing stuffing (if you stuff your bird) and carving. Carve all the meat from the bird, leaving the legs, thighs, and wings intact, if you wish. Divide the carved turkey meat into small containers or packages to ensure faster chilling and reheating.

Be sure you wash your hands and work surfaces carefully with soap and warm water before and after handling the bird at all stages to avoid recontamination.

Refrigerate carved turkey immediately. Or, if you cook it several days ahead of time, consider freezing it. It’s safe to freeze leftover turkey and trimmings, even if you purchased them frozen. Wrap tightly for best quality.

Although you may be able to reach your parents’ home within 2 hours after taking the turkey from the oven, don’t risk it. Unexpected delays could postpone your arrival and allow bacteria to grow in the cooked turkey. Instead, pack the turkey and other perishable foods in an insulated cooler with ice or frozen gel packs.

When you reach your destination, immediately transfer the foods to the refrigerator. Before serving, reheat the turkey at 325°F in a conventional or microwave oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

You should never partially cook any meat. Cooking must be done in one continuous operation at the proper temperature to assure germs are destroyed. The USDA also says to avoid slow cooking. The rationale is the same: It’s unsafe to cook a turkey, or any other meat, in an oven set lower than 325°F, because it takes too long for the thickest part of the turkey to reach a temperature high enough to kill food‑borne bacteria.

Another bad idea: adding stuffing or dressing to a raw bird and transporting it for later cooking. Instead, make the dressing ahead of time, chill it in small containers, carry everything in a cooler, remove and cook as soon as possible.

UAB dietitians offer these additional suggestions for keeping holiday foods safe from beginning to end:

Ø Keep hot foods HOT and cold foods COLD. Hot foods should be held at 140°F or warmer. Use chafing dishes, crock pots, and warming trays to keep foods hot. Cold foods should be held at 40°F or colder. Try nesting dishes in bowls of ice. This way food will be held at a safe temperature for a longer time.

Ø Wash all counter surfaces, cutting boards, sinks, knives, and your hands with soap and warm water before and after every contact with raw meat, poultry, or eggs.

Ø Use the 2-hour rule — foods should not sit at room temperature for longer than 2 hours. Leftovers will be safe in the refrigerator for about 4 days. In the freezer, they’ll be safe for a few months, but most will taste better if used within 2 to 4 months.

Ø Store fresh turkeys in the refrigerator only 1 to 2 days. Thaw frozen turkeys in the refrigerator, allowing 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey.

According to the USDA, you also can defrost your turkey in cold water. Allow about 30 minutes per pound of bird. Immerse the turkey in cold tap water. Check the water frequently to be sure it stays cold, and change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. A turkey thawed by the cold-water method should be cooked immediately.

Take care that meats and poultry do not drip juices on other foods in your grocery cart or at home in the refrigerator. For more information, visit the USDA’s site on food safety.