These holiday food safety tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will help you celebrate and stay safe and healthy. Christmas and Hanukkah and Kwanza and New Years celebrations typically involve large meals and lots of entertaining. These gatherings warrant special food safety knowledge. Serving a large group of people brings inherent risk. First of all, large quantities of food, especially foods like gravies, can easily be contaminated with bacteria like Clostridium perfringens, which grows in anaerobic environments, like the centers of large batches of food. This pathogen produces a toxin that makes you sick. So it's imperative that you divide large batches of food into small, shallow containers after serving and refrigerate them as soon as possible. And … [Read more...]
Planning to Fry Your Holiday Turkey? Safety First
Are you planning to fry your holiday turkey? If you are, there are some things you need to know. There have been many accidents and injuries associated with this type of cooking over the years. Learn how to fry a turkey safely with these tips. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says that cooking fires are the number one cause of residential fires. And turkey fryers pose particular risks. Since 1998, there have been reports of 222 fire or scald/burn incidents involving turkey fryers. These incidents resulted in 83 injuries and $9.7 million in property loss. To protect yourself, only fry a turkey outside and well away from your home. Prince William County has more tips on turkey frying. While Thanksgiving is the peak day for home fires caused by cooking, Christmas and … [Read more...]
