In order to assure a happy and healthy Thanksgiving holiday, the Arizona Department of Health Services advises the public to take several food safety precautions this holiday season.

“Washing hands and surfaces which touch raw poultry and meat are the most important things to remember for preventing foodborne illness, but these simple steps are the things that people most often forget", said Don Herrington, Chief of the ADHS Bureau of Epidemiology and Disease Control Services. "Thanksgiving Day cooks should never take basic food preparation precautions for granted. The last thing anyone wants is for a loved one or the whole family to get sick from poor food handling or improper temperatures.”

To date this year, more than 2,000 cases food borne illness cases been reported in Arizona, according to the ADHS. Federal statistics show that millions of people become ill from foodborne diseases, and as many as 5,000 die each year as a result of micro-organisms in food. Meat and poultry, the centerpiece of most holiday meals, can be a source of foodborne disease unless handled and prepared properly. Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria are commonly found on poultry, and are among the most common sources of diarrhea disease in the U.S.

Thanksgiving Day cooks should keep the following food safety guidelines in mind:

Food Handling and Preparation

• Wash your hands thoroughly before and after preparing any food product.
• Keep two cutting boards handy -- one for preparing raw poultry, and the other for cutting cooked food and preparing salads. After using utensils or cutting boards for raw food preparation or handling, thoroughly wash these items before using them for the preparation or handling of any other food.
• Never thaw meat or poultry at room temperature. Never thaw frozen turkey at room temperature because the higher temperature promotes growth of disease-causing bacteria. The preferred way to thaw turkey is in the refrigerator, where a steady cold temperature is guaranteed. Allow approximately 24 hours in the refrigerator for every five pounds of turkey. An 18-pound turkey, for example, will need 3-4 days in the refrigerator to thaw. A frozen turkey can also be thawed in cold running water. A 12-pound turkey takes about six hours to thaw in cold water, while large birds (20 to 24 pounds) take about 12 hours.

Turkey Tips

• Avoid cooking the stuffing inside the turkey. Stuffing inside the turkey often does not reach a high enough temperature. Improperly cooked stuffing is one of the most common causes of Thanksgiving foodborne illness.
• Use a cooking thermometer to determine if the turkey is fully cooked. The meat should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• If a fully-cooked turkey is purchased, it should be picked up hot and brought home and eaten within 4 hours. If you pick up your turkey on Wednesday and refrigerate it, make sure you heat all parts of the turkey to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit on Thanksgiving Day.

What to do with leftovers

• Never taste leftover food that looks or smells strange. When in doubt, throw it out!
• Do not allow any cooked food to sit out at room temperature for more than 4 hours. Leftovers should be refrigerated promptly after the meal. Freeze leftovers that won’t be eaten within 4 days. It’s also a good idea to divide large amounts of leftovers into smaller portions for quick chilling. Leftover meat stored in the refrigerator should be eaten within three to four days.
• Reheat leftovers to 165 degrees throughout or until steaming hot. Soups, sauces and gravies should be brought to a rolling boil for at least one minute.

After the feast

• Don’t take the chance of having flu take the fun out of your upcoming holiday season! Flu shots are available throughout the state. Visit www.cir.org or call (602) 263-8856 to find a flu shot clinic near you.
• Use the holidays as an opportunity to talk with your family members about their health history. Understanding your family’s health history will aid in developing strategies to avoid diseases that may be hereditary. Go to https://familyhistory.hhs.gov for more information.

For more information about food safety, call the ADHS Office of Environmental Health at (602) 364-3118, or the U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555.