The Kansas Health Department is asking you to keep food safety in mind while preparing your Thanksgiving meal.
One of the best practices to avoid foodborne illness is to wash your hands and cooking surfaces. Keeping things clean before, during, and after cooking goes a long way to keep from getting sick. Using different cutting boards and plates for raw meats and other foods will help avoid cross-contamination of food that may not be cooked to kill off bacteria.
Using a thermometer will help make sure that foods have been cooked to their proper temperatures. The Health Department suggests 165°F for turkey, stuffing, and casseroles. Beef and lamb roasts should reach 145°F. Ham, pork, ground beef and egg dishes should be 160°F.
When dealing with leftovers, it is recommended to get food refrigerated withing two hours of it being cooked and served. Anything sitting out for longer than that should be thrown out. When reheating leftovers it is recommended they hit at least 165°F.
If you suspect your dealing with a foodborne illness, you’re asked to report it to the Health Department at 877-427-7317. This helps track any outbreaks that may be linked to a single food item.
