Tis the season for giving thanks, food, holiday cheer, decorations, food, family, sharing and….did I say food? Thanksgiving is the ultimate stuff yourself until you can’t even stand the sight of turkey holiday. The three F’s of Thanksgiving is what makes it so enjoyable…family, friends, and food. Thanksgiving feasts consume more than 20 percent of the number of domestic turkeys raised in the United States this year!! That’s a total of 51,650,000 turkeys! We all want to watch our favorite football team play on Thanksgiving, talk politics with the family and gorge on food but to ensure you actually get to do these things foodsafetynews.com has provided a holiday guide on everything to do from your plane flight to your relatives house to prepping that turkey. These food safety tips will keep you and your family happy this Thanksgiving.
Travel
Taking a plane flight to Aunt June’s? You may want to consider purchasing your drink before you board the plane rather than indulging in that complimentary in-flight soda. In an Environmental Protection Agency study, one in eight planes does not meet water safety standards…that includes their ice!
“Please ensure your tray tables remain in their upright, locked position”…another bacteria hangout culprit. The National Science Foundation found that tray tables contain 10 times more bacteria than the flush handle IN the toilet! If you aren’t a mom and have the sanitizing wipes everywhere you go, get some before you travel…you won’t be sorry.
Turkey Time
Proper thawing and preparation of the turkey are imperative. Turkey should never be defrosted at room temperature, the refrigerator or cold water thawing is the best way to defrost your turkey.
Turkey temperatures!!! Your turkey is not safe to consume until it reaches 165° Fahrenheit. Always use a thermometer to check the temperature of the bird, you cannot tell by color if the turkey is done. It’s best to take the temperature in three different spots with varying thickness.
Leftovers
After everyone eats, no one wants to clean up. It’s the worst! But all perishable foods should be thrown out if they have been sitting longer than two hours at room temperature. Temperatures between 40° and 140° F. are considered the danger zone, where bacteria multiplies the quickest…so buck up and put those leftovers in the fridge ASAP.
To make sure everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving meal and no one gets sick use these guidelines and the worst thing you’ll have to worry about at the family get together is your football team losing 🏈 ….and of course the turkey coma you’ll be in for days. 🦃
Happy Thanksgiving from the Small Box Energy family to yours!
