Avoiding food-borne illnesses this holiday season

Filed in archive Around The Kitchen on November 21, 2005

Canadian health officials announced recently that the H5 Avian influenza flu virus has been found in 33 migratory ducks in Eastern and Central Canada. Though the flu's subtype is yet to be determined, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Jim Clark says, "These findings do not indicate that we are dealing with a virus strain capable of causing significant illness." He goes on to say that this particular strain of flu is not the same virus that is wreaking havoc on Asia's bird population.

With Thanksgiving approaching and Christmas on its heels, poultry sales are likely to skyrocket in the coming weeks. What do consumers need to know to keep themselves safe from avian flu, salmonella and other deadly food-borne illnesses?


According to the World Health Organization, there is no risk of humans contracting the deadly H5N1 flu virus through properly cooked food. Because the virus is sensitive to heat, cooking poultry to an internal temperature of 180 F will assure that and bacteria will be killed. Other safety precautions to take:

• Always use careful hygiene practices � Wash anything that comes into contact with raw poultry in hot soapy water or, ideally, a dishwasher. Wash hands often while handling raw poultry, taking care to avoid handling spice jars, drawer pulls, cabinet door handles and dishtowels without washing your hands first. Wash all countertops and surfaces with anti-bacterial kitchen cleanser and disposable paper toweling.
  
  


• Avoid stuffing the turkey � Stuffing cooked inside a turkey may absorb raw poultry juices and fail to cook properly inside the bird.
  Do not rely on a bird�s pop-up timer � Always verify your turkey is fully cooked by using a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the bird without touching bone.
  
  


• Thaw turkey in a refrigerator � Many people try to shorten a bird�s thawing time by leaving it on a counter to defrost or immersing it in a sink full of hot water. These methods actually increase the chances of contracting a food-borne illness since bacteria thrive, grow and multiply in room temperature or warm conditions.
  
  


• Use care when eating leftovers � Well-wrapped leftover turkey that has been refrigerated is safe to eat for up to three days but after that it should be thrown out. Carefully wrapped leftovers may be kept in the freezer for up to three months but remember to thaw food in the refrigerator before reheating to an internal temperature of 180 F.