NYS Department of Health offers cooking safety tips ahead of Thanksgiving

ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York State Department of Health is reminding all New Yorkers of the importance of safe food preparation ahead of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. The Department encourages people to take proper food safety precautions to prevent foodborne illnesses.

"We want to ensure that New Yorkers avoid foodborne illness and stay healthy during the holiday season, as Thanksgiving is a time for family, food, and friends,” State Commissioner of Health Dr. Mary T. Bassett said. “Practicing simple food preparation safety throughout the holidays is an easy way to prevent foodborne illnesses and help keep friends and family healthy.”

Here are some food preparation safety tips:

• Wrap fresh meats, including turkey, in plastic bags at the market to prevent blood and juices from dripping on other foods.
• Refrigerate foods promptly, and do not keep food at room temperature.
• Never thaw a turkey in hot water or by leaving it on the counter.
• Properly thaw a frozen turkey by: leaving it in the refrigerator (24 hours for every four to five pounds of turkey) or placing it in cold water (30 minutes for every pound of turkey, change water every 30 minutes, cook immediately after)
• Don't spread germs from raw poultry (including turkey) and other raw meats around food preparation areas.
• Cutting boards and counters used for poultry, beef, pork and seafood preparation should be washed immediately after use to prevent cross contamination with other foods.
• Marinate food in the refrigerator. Don't taste the marinade or re-use it after raw meat has been added.
• Avoid eating raw or undercooked meats. Always check the temperature with a meat thermometer. To check the temperature of meat, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, which is the least cooked part.
• Cooking stuffing inside a turkey can make it hard for the stuffing to reach safe temperatures. Cooking stuffing separately from the turkey in a casserole dish makes it easy to be sure it is thoroughly cooked. If you cook stuffing in a turkey, put the stuffing in the turkey just before cooking. With either cooking method, use a food thermometer to make sure the stuffing's center reaches 165F.

For more Thanksgiving food safety tips and how to prevent foodborne illnesses, use the link to the State Health Department's website HERE.