KDHE Home - News 1999 - News Release

Kansas
Department of Health & Environment
Bill Graves, Governor
Clyde D. Graeber, Secretary

November 22, 1999

Contact: Sharon Watson, 785-296-1529

Holiday Food Safety Has Nothing To Do With Luck

Food safety is no accident -- don't take a chance this holiday season. Poultry-loving bacteria thrive on unrefrigerated fowl, and claim some 650 lives each year."Replace your luck with knowledge," says Mary Glassburner, Food Protection and Consumer Safety Director for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). "By following basic food safety practices, you can enjoy your holiday turkey without fear of food-borne illness."

Glassburner recommends keeping hands and kitchen surfaces clean, avoiding cross-contamination of one food with bacteria from another, and cooking your bird until a meat thermometer registers at least 165F when measured inside the thickest portion of the thigh.

Refrigerating food quickly after eating is also critical. "It's a temptation to sit and visit for a long period of time at holiday dinners, but turkey and stuffing should be in shallow containers in the refrigerator within two hours after they are first cooked," Glassburner says. "Use refrigerated leftovers within 3-4 days, and reheat them to at least 165F," she advised. "Gravy should be used within 1-2 days, and reheated to a boil to keep your diners safe."

What about the age-old question of "to stuff or not to stuff?" The safest way to cook the stuffing is separately from the turkey. But whether the stuffing is cooked inside or outside the bird, it must reach an internal temperature of 165F. Prepare the ingredients just before cooking, and stuff the cavity loosely to help ensure even cooking.

Campylobacter, just one of several food-borne bacteria, was first recognized as causing illness in humans in the 1970s. It has since become the number one cause of all domestic food-borne illness - striking 2.5 million people each year. As many as 88 percent of all poultry test positive for campylobacter at the retail level. The bacteria also are now recognized as a major contributing factor to Guillain-Barre syndrome. Even one drop of raw poultry juice is enough to cause illness.

What are public health agencies doing to help prevent campylobacter and other harmful food-borne microbes? Kansas adopted a new food code on August 13 which will decrease the risk of contaminated food being served in restaurants and other licensed establishments.

"A series of food code information seminars are being offered across the state over the next two months, and a fact sheet appropriate for consumers is available," states Glassburner. "The Center for Disease Control has had a detailed active surveillance system in place since1996 to research how often this disease occurs and what the risk factors are for getting it. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is conducting studies on how to prevent the infection in poultry."

Turkeys will retain their well-deserved status as the number one holiday entree this year. Just remember to replace your food safety luck with food safety knowledge.

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