Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services press release:

The Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services Division of Environmental Health (DEH) is reminding the community to practice safe food handling to help keep holiday meals healthy.

DEH Supervising Environmental Health Specialist Benjamin Dolf said, “Practicing proper food handling can help prevent easily avoidable illnesses.”

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) says bacteria including Clostridium perfringens can grow in cooked foods left at room temperature and that many outbreaks have been linked to foods commonly served during the holidays, such as turkey and roast beef.

DEH along with the CDPH recommend following four simple steps to lessen the chance of foodborne illness: Clean, separate, cook and chill.

Clean your hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food. Thoroughly wash all surfaces, utensils and dishes with hot, soapy water and rinse with hot water before and after each use. Wash fruits and vegetables under cool, running water to prevent the spread of bacteria, even if you plan to peel them.

Separate raw and cooked foods to avoid cross contamination. Keep fruits and vegetables away from raw meat, poultry, eggs and seafood. Also, keep raw animal products separate from each other. Frozen turkeys and other meat should be thawed in the refrigerator, in a sink with cool water that is changed every 30 minutes or in the microwave.

Cook food to proper temperatures. Set the oven temperature no lower than 325 F, and be sure turkey and other meats are completely thawed before cooking. Using a food thermometer, make sure that the internal temperature of the turkey is at least 165 F at the thickest part, including the stuffing if it’s cooked inside the bird. Cooking times will vary.

Chill turkey and other perishable foods in the refrigerator within two hours of being cooked, and do not eat leftover meat, stuffing or gravy that has been refrigerated for longer than three-to-four days.

For more information about food safety, call the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition’s Safe Food Information Line at 1-888-723-3366 or the U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854.

Holiday food safety tips are also available at www.foodsafety.gov.