Traditions For Today’s Safe Kitchens (NAPSA)—According to a new survey by the American Dietetic Association and the ConAgra Foods Foundation, Americanswill spend more time cooking and bak- cooked batter to sample—and allowing their children to do the same. But most don’t know that this habit can pose a health risk: next few weeks than at any other time of year, with four out of five tains raw eggs can lead to salmonella poisoning. To be safe, wait dipping their fingers into un- ing with their children during the eating dough or batter that con- saying it’s important to pass on holiday cooking traditions. However, someof these traditions may be a recipe for food poisoning. “During the holidays, people who rarely cook any other time of year are suddenly in the kitchen helping prepare traditional holiday meals,” says Carolyn O’Neil, spokesperson for the ADA/Con- Agra Foods Home Food Safety... It’s in Your Hands program. “Since the holidays are such an important time for families to share lasting memories, it’s also a great opportunity for parents to brush up on their home food safety skills and make sure they're passing down these same traditions to their children.” This season, throw out your old holiday habits and ring in a new tradition of proper home food safety with a few simpletips. Keep Tabs on Temps Almost everyone (96 percent) serves a main meat dish at their holiday dinners—but few are cooking it properly. According to the ADA/ConAgra Foods survey, more than two out of three home cooks do not consistently use a meat thermometer to check the doneness of meats—putting themselves and their guests at risk of food poisoning. until baked treats are fully cooked over food lingers after almost every holiday meal (99 percent), but few feasters take the neces- sary precautions to safely enjoy foods a second time around. Nearly three out of four Ameri- cans admit to eating leftovers cold without reheating them first, a habit that can be particularly dan- gerous when it comes to gravy—a popular dish that graces nine out of 10 holiday spreads. Begin a newtradition this holiday season by reheating leftovers to 165 degrees Fahrenheit before eating, and always bring gravy to roasts to at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Limit Leftover Lingering According to the survey, left- cial “Cookie Rookie Certificate of Achievement,” downloadable from www.homefoodsafety.org. FREE Holiday Chef Count- down Calendar Experts say it takes 21 days to break a bad habit—fortunately there’s plenty of time before the holidays to make over yourholiday mistakes. Visit www.home plies last), featuring 21 quick fixes for your kitchen faux pas. Or, download a printer-friendly version on the spot. For More Tips on a Safe and fall into the categories of “tradi- tional sit-down”or “buffet-style,” and more than half of these fes- tive feasts last longer than two hours—the point at which bacteria begins to multiply rapidly on perishable food items. Keep guests out of harm’s way by setting out buffet items in two- hour shifts (about the length of time as two holiday CDs played degrees Fahrenheit—andreplenish the buffet or dinner table with and pork roasts to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, briskets and beef cookie dough craving with an offi- Avoid the All-Day Buffet Nine out of 10 holiday meals serving it the first, second and even third time around. safe internal temperature. Whole degrees Fahrenheit; holiday hams reward them for curbing their foodsafety.org for your free, magnetic dry-erase Holiday Chef To keep holiday revelers merry, turkeys should be cooked to 180 dren, encourage them to take the “Cookie Rookie Pledge,” and a steady boil on the stove before back-to-back!). After each shift, place uneaten food back in the always use a meat thermometerto make sure meats are cooked to a before digging in. Since resisting the urge to sneak a bite of raw cookie dough can be especially difficult for chil- refrigerator—set at below 40 fresh holiday favorites. Curb Your Urge to Sample For many Americans, sampling food while baking holiday treats is as much a tradition as giving gifts. More than nine out of 10 homecooksconfess to licking the batter, eating raw cookie dough or Countdown Calendar (while sup- Festive Holiday The ADA/ConAgra Foods Home Food Safety...It’s in Your Hands program educates consumers that home food safety is a serious issue and provides solutions so Americans can easily and safely handle food in their own kitchens. This program complements government-sponsored food safety initiatives that speak to the leading critical food-handling violations by emphasizing the following four key messages: 1) Wash hands often; 2) Keep raw meats and ready-to-eat foods separate; 3) Cook to proper temperatures; 4) Refrigerate promptly below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. For more information, visit www.homefoodsafety.org.
