The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has issued reminders for safe food handling as the holiday season approaches. The department emphasized four main guidelines: clean, separate, cook, and chill, to help prevent foodborne illnesses.
Troy Huffman, retail food program manager at CDPHE, provided advice on thawing turkeys safely. “Start with thawing food in the refrigerator. Place items on a tray or on the very bottom of the refrigerator to catch any juices that may leak from the packaging to avoid cross-contamination with other foods,” said Huffman. He explained that thawing times depend on turkey size: “A turkey 4-12 pounds takes one to three days to thaw, 12-16 pounds takes three to four days, 16-20 pounds takes four to five days, and 20-24 pounds takes five to six days.”
The department’s recommendations include washing hands regularly with soap and water during meal preparation, especially after handling raw meat or poultry. Surfaces used for preparing raw foods should be cleaned often. They also advised that anyone who is unwell should not prepare or handle food.
CDPHE urges people to keep raw meats and eggs separated from other foods while shopping, storing in the fridge, or using cutting boards.
Leftovers containing meat, dairy, eggs, fish, or poultry should not be left out at room temperature and need refrigeration within two hours after cooking.
For cooking guidance, CDPHE stated: “Keep the stuffing out of the turkey! Cook the turkey and stuffing separately to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and the ham to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, before serving. Recipes containing eggs must be cooked thoroughly to 155 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Use a cooking thermometer to confirm the temperature. Place the thermometer in the thickest part of the food, and don’t let it touch bone, fat, or gristle.”
Further information can be found through resources such as the CDC’s page on preparing your holiday turkey safely, the Food and Drug Administration’s Safe Food Handling, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Basics, and Colorado State University Extension’s Food Smart Colorado.
