Many people don't realize that food safety is the most important ingredient in preparing food for the holidays.

Ready-to-Cook Foods: Follow Directions to Keep Your Holidays Happy

Eating them right out of the package, without cooking, could make you sick

Cookies are a holiday favorite – and this season is a good time to remind ourselves that ready-to-cook foods of all kinds, including raw, packaged cookie dough, do need to be cooked. Eating these kinds of foods right out of the package, without cooking them, could make you sick from bacteria. Cooking them according to the package directions before you eat them kills bacteria that could make you sick.

Whether it’s packaged cookie dough or a frozen entrée or pizza or any of the other ready-to-cook foods we use for convenience, cook or bake them according to the directions on the package, to help keep your holidays happy.

Most people who get sick from bacteria in ready-to-cook foods that aren’t cooked properly will get better by themselves, although foodborne illness isn’t a very pleasant way to spend the holidays. But anyone, of any age or health condition, could get very sick or die from these bacteria. This is especially true for people with weak immune systems; for example, the very young, the elderly, and people with diseases that weaken the immune system or who are on medicines that suppress the immune system (for example, some medicines used for rheumatoid arthritis).

Pregnant women also need to be especially careful to follow cooking directions on packages, since some bacteria are very harmful or deadly to unborn babies.

It’s a good safety tip to keep in mind all year, not just in the holiday season: Follow the directions on your ready-to-cook food packages to help keep yourself and your loved ones healthy.

Happy Holidays and remember to BE FOOD SAFE!

Prevent Food Poisoning During the Holidays

Feasting with family is part of many holiday celebrations. Follow these tips to help prevent food poisoning, or foodborne illness, during the holidays.

• Keep foods separated. Keep meat, chicken, turkey, seafood, and eggs separate from all other foods at the grocery store and in the refrigerator. Prevent juices from meat, chicken, turkey, and seafood from dripping or leaking onto other foods by keeping them in containers or sealed plastic bags. Store eggs in their original carton in the main compartment of the refrigerator.
• Cook food thoroughly. Meat, chicken, turkey, seafood, and eggs can carry germs that cause food poisoning. Use a food thermometer to ensure these foods have been cooked to a safe internal temperature. Roasts, chops, steaks, and fresh ham should rest for 3 minutes after you remove them from the oven or grill.
• Keep food out of the “danger zone.” Bacteria can grow rapidly in the danger zone between 40°F and 140°F. After food is prepared, keep hot food hot and cold food cold. Refrigerate or freeze any perishable food within 2 hours (1 hour if food is exposed to temperatures above 90°F, such as in a hot car). The temperature in your refrigerator should be set at or below 40°F and the freezer at or below 0°F.
• Use pasteurized eggs for dishes containing raw eggs. Salmonella and other harmful germs can live on both the outside and inside of normal-looking eggs. Many holiday favorites contain raw eggs, including eggnog, tiramisu, hollandaise sauce, and Caesar dressing. Always use pasteurized eggs when making these and other foods made with raw eggs.
• Do not eat raw dough or batter. Dough and batter made with flour or eggs can contain harmful germs, such as E. coli and Salmonella. Do not taste or eat raw dough or batter that is meant to be baked or cooked. This includes dough or batter for cookies, cakes, pies, biscuits, pancakes, tortillas, pizza, or crafts. Do not let children taste raw dough or batter or play with dough at home or in restaurants. Some companies and stores offer edible cookie dough that uses heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs or no eggs. Read the label carefully to make sure the dough is meant to be eaten without baking or cooking.
• Thaw your turkey safely. Thaw turkey in the refrigerator, in a sink of cold water (change the water every 30 minutes), or in the microwave. Avoid thawing foods on the counter. A turkey must thaw at a safe temperature to prevent harmful germs from growing rapidly.
• Wash your hands. Wash your hands with soap and water during these key times when you are likely to get and spread germs:
  • Before, during, and after preparing food
  • Before eating food
  • After handling pet food or pet treats or touching pets
  • After using the toilet
  • After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
  • After touching garbage
  • Before and after caring for someone who is sick
  • Before and after treating a cut or wound
  • After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing

Pregnancy and Holiday Food

Pregnant women are at increased risk of food poisoning, so take extra care if you’re pregnant or preparing food for someone who is.

Pregnant women are 10 times more likely than others to get listeriosis, a rare but deadly foodborne infection caused by the bacteria Listeria. Learn how to protect yourself from this harmful germ.

• Do not eat or drink raw or unpasteurized milk and products made with it, such as soft cheeses. They can contain harmful germs, including Listeria. Do not eat soft cheeses such as queso fresco, Brie, Camembert, feta, goat cheese, or blue-veined cheese if they are made from raw or unpasteurized milk.
  • Be aware that cheeses made from pasteurized milk, such as queso fresco, also have caused Listeria infections, most likely because they were contaminated during cheese-making.
  • Processed cheeses, cream cheese, mozzarella, and hard cheeses are safer choices.
• Don’t drink raw or unpasteurized juice and cider.
• Be careful with seafood. Do not eat smoked seafood that was sold refrigerated unless it is in a cooked dish, such as a casserole. Instead, choose shelf-stable smoked seafood in pouches or cans that do not need refrigeration.
• Avoid certain holiday beverages. Drinking any type of alcohol can affect your baby’s growth and development and cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Don’t drink holiday punches and eggnogs that contain alcohol. Avoid eggnog entirely unless you know it doesn’t contain alcohol and is pasteurized or made with pasteurized eggs and milk.

Turkey and its juice can be contaminated with germs that can make you and your family sick. Raw turkey can contain Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter, and other germs. Whether you’re cooking a whole bird or a part of it, such as the breast, you should take special care to prevent food poisoning. Follow the 6 steps below to safely store, thaw, handle, cook, and reheat your turkey.

1. Store Turkey Properly

• Frozen raw turkey should be stored in the freezer until you are ready to thaw it. Make sure your freezer is at 0˚F or below. Don’t store a turkey in a place where you can’t closely monitor the temperature, such as in a car trunk, a basement, the back porch, or in snow.

2. Thaw Turkey Safely

Use one of these methods to thaw your turkey.

• Thaw your turkey in the refrigerator.
  • Keep your turkey in its original wrapping and place it in a container before putting it in the refrigerator. The container will prevent the turkey juice from dripping on other food.
  • Allow about 24 hours of thawing for each 4 to 5 pounds of turkey.
  • A turkey thawed in the refrigerator can remain in the refrigerator once it’s been thawed for 1 to 2 days before cooking.
• Thaw your turkey in cold water.
  • Be sure your turkey is in a leakproof plastic bag before you place it in the sink.
    • The bag will prevent the turkey juice from spreading in the kitchen.
    • The bag also will prevent the turkey from absorbing water, which could make your cooked turkey runny.
  • Make sure to completely cover your turkey with cold tap water.
  • Change the water every 30 minutes.
  • Allow about 30 minutes of thawing for each pound of turkey.
  • A turkey thawed in cold water must be cooked immediately after thawing.
• Thaw your turkey in the microwave.
  • Follow the microwave manufacturer’s instructions for thawing your turkey.
  • A turkey thawed in the microwave must be cooked immediately after thawing.

Never thaw your turkey by leaving it out on the counter. A turkey must thaw at a safe temperature. When a turkey stays out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, its temperature becomes unsafe even if the center is still frozen. Germs can grow rapidly in the “danger zone” between 40°F and 140°F.

Get more information about thawing turkeys.

3. Handle Turkey Correctly to Prevent the Spread of Germs

Raw turkey and its juice can contaminate anything they touch. Be sure to handle your turkey correctly to prevent harmful germs from spreading to other food or your family and friends.

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling turkey.
• Use one cutting board for raw turkey and a separate cutting board for produce, bread, and other foods that won’t be cooked.
• Never place cooked food or fresh produce on a plate, cutting board, or other surface that held raw turkey.
• Wash cutting boards, utensils, dishes, and countertops with hot soapy water after preparing raw turkey and before you prepare the next item.

Washing raw turkey can spread germs to other food. Federal agencies have recommended not washing turkey or chicken since 2005. But a 2020 survey found that 78% of participants reported washing or rinsing turkey before cooking. Old recipes and family cooking traditions may tempt you to keep this practice going, but it can make you and your family sick. Poultry juice can spread in the kitchen and contaminate other foods, utensils, and countertops.

If you wash raw turkey, immediately clean and thoroughly sanitize the sink and surrounding area. A USDA study found that 1 in 7 people who cleaned their sink after washing chicken still had germs in the sink.

*Source: 2020 Porter Novelli Consumer Styles survey of 3,625 adults in the United States

4. Cook Stuffing Thoroughly

It’s safest to cook stuffing in a casserole dish instead of inside your turkey. Cooking stuffing in a casserole dish makes it easy to be sure the stuffing is thoroughly cooked. If you do cook stuffing in the 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 165°F. Germs can survive in stuffing that has not reached 165°F. If you cooked the stuffing in your turkey, wait 20 minutes after taking the bird out of the oven before removing the stuffing. This allows the stuffing to cook a little longer.

5. Cook Turkey to a Safe Temperature

To roast a turkey in your oven, set the oven temperature to at least 325°F. Place the completely thawed turkey in a roasting pan that is 2 to 2-1/2 inches deep. Cooking times depend on the weight of the turkey and whether it is stuffed.

Use a food thermometer to make sure your turkey has reached a safe internal temperature of 165°F.

• Check by inserting a food thermometer into three places, avoiding bone:
  • thickest part of the breast
  • where body and thigh join, aiming toward thigh
  • where body and wing join, aiming toward wing.
• Even if your turkey has a pop-up timer, you should still use a food thermometer to check that it is safely cooked.
• If you stuffed your turkey, insert a food thermometer into the center of the stuffing to ensure it reaches 165°F. Remember to let the turkey stand 20 minutes before removing all stuffing and carving the meat. This will let the stuffing cook a little longer and make the turkey easier to carve.

If you are cooking your turkey using another method, such as smoking or frying it, or if you are roasting a turkey that is not fully thawed, follow these guidelines for cooking your bird safely.

Learn more about safe internal temperatures for other foods and how to use a food thermometer.

Make sure turkey reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F. Use a food thermometer to check in three places, avoiding bone: (1) thickest part of the breast, (2) where body and thigh join, aiming toward thigh, and (3) where body and wing join, aiming toward wing.

6. Take Care of Leftovers

Follow these tips to safely store and reheat your leftovers.

• Refrigerate leftovers at 40°F or colder within 2 hours of cooking to prevent food poisoning. Refrigerate leftovers that have been exposed to temperatures higher than 90°F, like in a hot car, within 1 hour.
• If you are refrigerating a big cut of meat, such as a turkey or roast, cut it into smaller pieces so they cool quickly. You do not need to wait until food is cool to store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Eat cooked turkey and dishes made with it, such as soup or a casserole, within 3 to 4 days. Freeze leftovers to store them for longer.
• Reheat all leftovers to at least 165°F before serving or eating.

The bacteria Clostridium perfringens grows in cooked foods left at room temperature. It is the second most common bacterial cause of food poisoning. The major symptoms are vomiting and abdominal cramps within 6 to 24 hours after eating.

• Clostridium perfringens outbreaks occur most often in November and December.
• Many of these outbreaks have been linked to foods commonly served during the holidays, such as turkey and roast beef.

What You Need to Know

• Wash your hands with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds before, during, and after preparing food and before eating.
• Separate raw meats from ready-to-eat foods like vegetables when preparing, serving, or storing foods.
• Make sure food is cooked to a safe internal temperature.
• Keep hot foods hot (140°F or warmer) and cold foods cold (40°F or colder).
• Throw out perishable food that has been sitting at room temperature for more than 2 hours (more than 1 hour if it has been exposed to temperatures above 90°F).

Tackling a game day spread? Play by these rules and keep the runs on the field. Make sure your game day favorites are memorable for all the right reasons. Follow these four tips to avoid food poisoning:

1. Keep it Clean

• Wash your hands with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds before, during, and after preparing food and before eating. Also, wash your hands after using the bathroom and touching pets.
• Wash your cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item.
• Wash or scrub fruits and vegetables under running water—even if you do not plan to eat the peel—so dirt and germs on the surface do not get inside when you cut.

2. Avoid Mix-ups

• Separate raw meats from ready-to-eat foods like veggies when preparing, serving, or storing foods.
  • Use separate cutting boards, plates, and knives for produce and for raw meat, chicken and other poultry, seafood, and eggs.
• Offer guests individual serving utensils and small plates to discourage them from eating dips and salsa directly from the bowls.

3. Cook it Well

Cooking food to the right temperature kills harmful germs. Use a food thermometer to check meat, egg, and microwaved dishes on your menu.

• Make sure chicken wings (and other poultry) reach an internal temperature of at least 165°F. Ground beef and egg dishes should reach at least 160°F. Check the safe internal temperature for other foods.
• Follow recommended standing or rest times after cooking some foods like steaks or roasts.
  • Areas of the food that are not completely cooked (cold spots) can provide a hiding place for germs.
  • Always follow directions for the standing time—the extra minutes food should rest to finish cooking.
• Follow cooking directions on the package when cooking frozen food in the microwave.

4. Keep it Safe

Serve food at the right temperature:

• Keep hot foods at 140°F or warmer. Use chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays to keep food hot.
• Keep cold foods, like salsa and guacamole, at 40°F or colder. Use small service trays or nest serving dishes in bowls of ice.
• Getting takeout or delivery? Make sure to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

If you prepare food in advance or have leftovers, store and reheat them the right way:

• Divide cooked food into smaller portions or pieces and put in shallow containers to cool. This encourages rapid, even cooling.
  • Be sure to divide large pots of food (for example, soups and stews) and large cuts of meats (for example, roasts and whole chickens).
• Put cooked food and leftovers in a refrigerator or freezer as soon as possible—always within 2 hours of preparing, or 1 hour if the food is exposed to temperatures above 90°F (like a hot car or tailgate party).
  • It’s OK to put hot foods directly into the refrigerator.
  • Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below and your freezer at 0°F or below.
• Refrigerate cooked food and leftovers for 3 to 4 days at most. Freeze the food if you won’t be eating it soon.
• Reheat food to at least 165°F before serving. This includes leftovers warmed up in the microwave.

A Recipe for Fresh Salsa—Remember to Refrigerate!

Serving salsa on game day? Try this recipe for fresh salsa with garlic and lime juice. Remember to refrigerate any homemade salsa until you serve it. Nest the bowl in ice on the serving table or make sure you follow the 2-hour rule.

Ingredients

• 18 fresh Roma tomatoes
• 1 medium jalapeño pepper, stem removed
• 1 small sweet onion, peeled
• 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh garlic
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice

Directions

1. Wash your hands, and clean the cutting board and prep area with soap and hot water.
2. Rinse the tomatoes, jalapeño pepper, and cilantro under running water and dry with a clean paper towel.
3. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces.
4. Finely dice the onion, jalapeño pepper, and garlic.
5. Chop the cilantro leaves into small pieces.
6. Combine tomatoes, pepper, onion, cilantro, salt, garlic, and lime juice in a bowl and refrigerate until serving time.
7. Enjoy!

Makes about 2 or 2.5 cups.

What You Need to Know

• You cannot see, smell, or taste the toxin that causes botulism, but taking even a small taste of food containing the toxin can be deadly.
• Follow these steps to protect yourself and others from botulism:
  • Always use proper canning techniques.
  • If you have any doubt about whether food was canned properly, throw it out.
  • Throw out any canned food with signs of contamination. Never taste food to see if it’s safe.
• Botulism is an emergency. Seek medical help immediately if you or someone you know has symptoms.

Home canning is an excellent way to preserve garden produce and share it with family and friends. But it can be risky—or even deadly—if not done correctly and safely. Home-canned vegetables are the most common cause of botulism outbreaks in the United States. Learn how you can preserve vegetables—as well as fruits, meats, seafood, and more—correctly and safely.

What is botulism?

Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves. It can cause difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis, and even death. The toxin is made most often by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Improperly canned, preserved, or fermented foods can provide the right conditions for the bacteria to make the toxin.

You cannot see, smell, or taste the toxin, but taking even a small taste of food containing it can be deadly.

Botulism is a medical emergency. If you or someone you know has symptoms of botulism, contact your doctor or go to the emergency room immediately.

How can I help prevent botulism from home-canned foods?

You can protect yourself, your family, and others by following these tips.

1. Use proper canning techniques.

The best way to prevent foodborne botulism is by carefully following instructions for safe home canning from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. Only use recipes and cookbooks that follow the steps in the USDA guide. Don’t use other recipes, even if you got them from a trusted friend or family member.

You can learn more about proper home canning from these resources:

• The National Center for Home Food Preservation
• State and county extension services (click on your state or scroll down for a list of all services)

2. Use the right equipment for the kind of food you are canning.

Low-acid foods are the most common sources of botulism linked to home canning. These foods have a pH level greater than 4.6. Low-acid foods include most vegetables (including asparagus, green beans, beets, corn, and potatoes), some fruits (including some tomatoes and figs), milk, all meats, fish, and other seafood.

Pressure canning is the only recommended method for canning low-acid foods.

• Do not use a boiling water canner for low-acid foods because it will not protect against botulism.
• Do not use an electric, multi-cooker appliance, even if it has a “canning” or “steam canning” button on the front panel. Learn more.

When pressure canning, keep the following things in mind.

• Use a recommended pressure canner that holds at least four one-quart jars sitting upright on the rack.
• Be sure the gauge of the pressure canner is accurate. Many county extension offices will check gauges. Contact the pressure canner manufacturer for other options.
• Clean lid gaskets and other parts according to the manufacturer’s directions.
• Vent the pressure canner before pressurizing and follow recommended cooling steps.
• Use up-to-date processing times and pressures for the kind of food, the size of jar, and the method of packing food in the jar. Pay special attention to processing times for low-acid foods.

3. When in doubt, throw it out!

If you have any doubt whether safe canning guidelines have been followed, do not eat the food.

Home-canned and store-bought food might be contaminated with toxins or harmful germs if:

• the container is leaking, bulging, or swollen;
• the container looks damaged, cracked, or abnormal;
• the container spurts liquid or foam when opened; or
• the food is discolored, moldy, or smells bad.

What else should I know about preventing botulism?

• Refrigerate any canned or pickled foods after you open them.
• Always use traditional methods when preparing Alaska Native foods.
• Refrigerate homemade oils infused with garlic or herbs and throw away any unused oils after 4 days.
• If you bake potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil, keep them hot (at temperatures hotter than 140°F) until they are served or refrigerate them with the foil loosened so they get air.

What You Need to Know

• When handling raw meat, chicken, and seafood
  • Separate it from other food
  • Refrigerate it before grilling
  • Wash your hands before and after handling it
  • Make sure its juices do not touch other food, utensils, and surfaces
  • Use a food thermometer to ensure it is cooked to a safe temperature
• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking

Food poisoning peaks in the summer months when warmer temperatures cause foodborne germs to flourish. Follow these steps for a safe and enjoyable grilling season.

Separate

When shopping, pick up meat, chicken and other poultry, and seafood last, right before checkout. Separate them from other food in your shopping cart and grocery bags. To guard against cross-contamination, put packages of raw meat and poultry into individual plastic bags.

Chill

Keep meat, poultry, and seafood refrigerated until ready to grill. When transporting, keep 40°F or below in an insulated cooler.

Thaw & Marinate

Harmful germs can multiply very quickly at room temperature. Thaw food safely in the refrigerator, cold water, or microwave. Always marinate food in the refrigerator no matter what kind of marinade you’re using. Never thaw or marinade meat, poultry, or seafood on the counter.

Clean

Wash your hands with soap before and after handling raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Wash work surfaces, utensils, and the grill before and after cooking.

Check Your Grill and Tools

Use a moist cloth or paper towel to clean the grill surface before cooking. If you use a wire bristle brush, thoroughly inspect the grill’s surface before cooking. Wire bristles from grill cleaning brushes may dislodge and stick into food on the grill.

Don’t Cross-contaminate

Throw out marinades and sauces that have touched raw meat juices, which can spread germs to cooked foods. Use clean utensils and a clean plate to remove cooked meat from the grill.

Cook

Use a food thermometer to ensure meat is cooked hot enough to kill harmful germs. When smoking, keep temperatures inside the smoker at 225°F to 300°F to keep meat a safe temperature while it cooks.

When Grilling

• 145°F—whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and veal (then allow the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving or eating)
• 145°F—fish
• 160°F—hamburgers and other ground beef
• 165°F—all poultry and pre-cooked meats, like hot dogs

After Grilling

• 140°F or warmer—until it’s served

Refrigerate

Divide leftovers into small portions and place in covered, shallow containers. Put in freezer or fridge within 2 hours of cooking (1 hour if above 90°F outside).

What You Need to Know

• Don’t taste or eat raw (unbaked) dough or batter.
• Don’t let children handle or play with raw dough, including play clay and dough for crafts.
• Uncooked flour and raw eggs can contain germs that can make you sick if you taste raw dough.
• Wash your hands, bowls, utensils, and countertops after handling raw flour, eggs, or dough.

Spending time with family while baking is a great way to celebrate special occasions. When making cookies, brownies, cakes, or bread, you might be tempted to taste a bite before it’s fully baked.

But you can get sick after eating or tasting raw (unbaked) dough or batter. Children can get sick from handling or eating raw dough used for crafts or play clay, too. Follow these safety tips to help you and your loved ones stay healthy when preparing and handling raw dough.

Raw Dough Can Contain Germs That Make You Sick

Flour doesn’t look like a raw food, but most flour is raw. That means it hasn’t been treated to kill germs that cause food poisoning, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli). These harmful germs can contaminate grain while it’s still in the field or flour while it’s being made. Steps like grinding grain and bleaching flour don’t kill harmful germs—and these germs can end up in flour or baking mixes you buy at the store. You can get sick if you eat unbaked dough or batter made with flour containing germs. Germs are killed only when food made with flour is baked or cooked.

CDC investigated outbreaks of E. coli infections linked to raw flour or cake mix in 2016, 2019, and 2021. Some of these investigations led to recalls. Flour and baking mixes containing flour have long shelf lives, meaning they do not go bad quickly. It’s a good idea to check your pantry to see if you have any flour or baking mixes that have been recalled in recent years (search FDA’s recall list). If you have any recalled flour or baking mixes, throw them away.

Raw eggs are another ingredient in dough and batter that can make you or your loved ones sick. Raw or lightly cooked eggs can contain Salmonella, a germ that causes food poisoning. Find out how to handle and cook eggs properly.

Some companies make edible cookie dough and brownie batter that you can find in stores. These products are made with heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs or no eggs. Read the label carefully to make sure the dough is meant to be eaten without baking or cooking.

Stay Safe When Handling Flour and Other Raw Ingredients

Follow these practices to prevent food poisoning when you are baking and cooking with flour and other raw ingredients.

• Do not taste or eat any raw dough or batter. This includes dough or batter for cookies, brownies, cakes, pie crusts, tortillas, pizza, biscuits, pancakes, or crafts made with raw flour, such as homemade play dough or holiday ornaments.
• Do not let children play with or eat raw dough, including dough for crafts.
• Bake raw dough, such as cookie dough, and batter, such as cake mix, before eating.
• Follow the recipe or package directions for cooking or baking. Use the temperature and cooking time given in the recipe or directions.
• Do not make milkshakes with products that contain raw flour, such as cake mix.
• Do not use raw homemade cookie dough in ice cream.
  • Cookie dough ice cream sold in stores contains dough that has been treated to kill harmful germs.
• Keep raw foods, such as flour and eggs, separate from ready-to-eat foods. Because flour is a powder, it can spread easily.
• Follow label directions to refrigerate products containing raw dough or eggs until they are baked or cooked (for example, store-bought cookie dough).
• Clean up thoroughly after handling flour, eggs, or raw dough.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water after handling flour, raw eggs, or any surfaces they have touched.
  • Wash bowls, utensils, countertops, and other surfaces with warm, soapy water.

Recognize Food Poisoning Symptoms

Food poisoning symptoms may range from mild to severe and can differ depending on the germ you swallowed.

Symptoms of E. coli infection include stomach cramps that can be severe, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting. People usually get sick 3 to 4 days after swallowing the germ and recover within a week. However, some people develop a serious illness called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can result in kidney failure, stroke, and even death.

Symptoms of Salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Symptoms start 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the germ and go away within 4 to 7 days.

Some groups of people have a greater chance of infection and severe illness. These groups include children younger than 5, adults age 65 and older, and people who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness.

What You Need to Know

• Separate raw meat, chicken and other poultry, seafood, and eggs from ready-to-eat foods.
• Use a food thermometer to make sure foods are cooked to a temperature hot enough to kill germs.
• Germs that can make you sick grow quickly when food is in the “Danger Zone,” between 40°F and 140°F.
• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. Divide leftovers into smaller portions to cool faster.

Gathering friends and family is fun, but beware of uninvited party guests. Foodborne germs can crash your buffet and make people sick with food poisoning. When cooking, preparing, or serving food for large groups, it’s important to keep food safe. Follow these steps to keep foodborne germs from spoiling your party.

Keep It Clean

• Wash your hands with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds before, during, and after preparing food and before eating. Wash your hands after using the bathroom and touching pets.
• Wash your cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with hot, soapy water or in the dishwasher after preparing each food item.

Separate Raw Meat From Other Foods

• Separate raw meat, chicken and other poultry, seafood, and eggs from foods that won’t be cooked before eating, such as fruit, salad greens, deli salads, and bread.
  • Keep raw meat, chicken and other poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from other foods when shopping for groceries and in the refrigerator.
  • Use one cutting board, plate, or knife for raw meat, chicken and other poultry, and seafood and a separate cutting board, plate, or knife for produce, bread, and other foods that won’t be cooked.

Cook to a Safe Temperature

• Use a food thermometer to make sure foods are cooked to an internal temperature hot enough to kill germs. Check this chart for safe internal temperatures.
• Follow recommended microwave cooking instructions and standing times.
  • Cold spots—areas that are not completely cooked when microwaved—can provide a hiding place for germs.
  • Always follow cooking instructions and directions for standing time, which is the extra time food should rest to finish cooking.

Serve Foods Safely

• If preparing food in advance, divide cooked food into shallow containers and store in a refrigerator or freezer. This encourages rapid, even cooling.
• Keep hot foods hot at 140°F or warmer. Use slow cookers, chafing dishes, and warming trays to keep food hot on the buffet table.
• Keep cold foods cold at 40°F or below. Use small serving trays and replace often with fresh platters from the refrigerator, or place serving dishes in bowls of ice so they stay chilled.
• For picnics and other outdoor meals, keep cold food in a cooler filled with ice or frozen gel packs until just before serving.
• Catering or getting food delivered? Make sure food that is catered or delivered stays at a safe temperature.

The Two-Hour Rule

• Some foods will quickly become unsafe to eat if not refrigerated or frozen, such as meat, chicken and other poultry, seafood, dairy, cut fruit, some vegetables, and cooked leftovers.
• Throw away any of these perishable foods that have been left out for 2 hours or more.
• Toss them after 1 hour if they’ve been sitting out at temperatures of 90°F or hotter, such as food served at a picnic or outdoor family reunion.

Store and Reheat Leftovers the Right Way

• Divide leftovers into smaller portions or pieces for faster cooling, place in shallow containers, and refrigerate or freeze.
• Leftover foods should be refrigerated at 40°F or below as soon as possible and within 2 hours of preparation. It’s OK to put hot foods directly into the refrigerator.
• Leftovers should be reheated to at least 165°F before serving. This includes leftovers warmed up in the microwave.
• Learn how long food can be stored safely in the refrigerator and freezer.