Food Illness: The Worst Holiday Present. We've Got Tips!

The Central Connecticut Health District, which serves Berlin and Rocky Hill, has compiled these tips on how to handle food and prevent you or a guest from becoming one of the 48 million people who suffer from a food-borne illness each holiday season.

All kitchen surfaces, cutting boards, utensils and dishes should be washed thoroughly with hot, soapy water before, during and after the cooking process.

People should also wash their hands for 20 seconds in hot, soapy water before, during and after the food preparation, especially after preparing meat or seafood.

When preparing the meal, the Central Connecticut Health District advises people to use different utensils for cooked and raw foods. Different cutting boards should be used for vegetables and meat and/or seafood. Cooked foods should not be placed on plates or dishes that were not cleaned after holding uncooked meat, egg or seafood on them.

When cooking your holiday meat, the Central Connecticut Health District states roasting is the preferred method. Meat is recommended to be placed on a rack in a shallow pan and the oven should be set to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. A food thermometer should be used to make sure the meat is cooked to the proper temperature.

• Lean beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Pork should be cooked to an internal temperature of between 160 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Fully cooked ham should be cooked to an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Uncooked hams should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Turkey and poultry should to be cooked to an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you chose to fry a turkey this holiday season, the South Fire District in Middletown advises you to observe the following rules.

• Never fry a turkey indoors. (That includes your garage or wooden deck.)
• Never let children or pets near the fryer when in use, or even after use.
• Make sure pot is level, and on stable ground.
• Make sure turkey is fully defrosted.
• Make sure the pot is not overfilled with oil.
• Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby.

To thaw frozen meat, place it in the refrigerator or submerge it in a deep sink of cold water, according to the Central Connecticut Health District. It is recommended that you change the water every 30 minutes to keep it cold.

When serving food, hosts should keep hot foods above 140 degrees Fahrenheit and cold food under 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Cold food should be surrounded by ice and hot food should be kept warm by chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays, if being served buffet style.

Food should be thrown out after sitting out for two hours at room temperature.