askthedoctor Food Safety F Keep Your
Hands Clean During food prep and cleanup, make sure ev- eryone washes his or her hands, especially after using the bathroom or changing a diaper. Don’t change diapers near food areas.
These food-preparation tips can help prevent spoiled food from spoiling the party, so you can enjoy holiday get-togethers with your friends and family. By Rear Adm. Joyce Johnson, D.O.
Food — in the form of elaborate holiday dinners, potluck family meals, and lots of leftovers — is central to many winter holiday celebrations. In the rush of celebrating with large gatherings of family and friends, don’t forget about food safety. Food-borne illness, commonly called food poisoning, aff ects about one in six people in the U.S. each year (nearly 50 million people) and contributes to the deaths of at least 3,000 people. Food safety concerns have changed over time — no longer are the biggest threats botulism from home-canned green beans, tubercu- losis from unpasteurized milk, or lead poi- soning from the solder in tin cans. Many food-borne illnesses can be prevented with simple precautions at home. Meat and poultry require proper prepa-
ration. Thaw frozen meat or turkey either in the refrigerator or covered with cold water in a large container. Thawing a large turkey can take a couple of days in the refrigerator. After thawing, rinse the bird thoroughly in cold water to remove any surface contamination that might have oc- curred in the processing plant. Use a meat thermometer during cook- ing to be sure meat reaches an adequate temperature. Cook turkey unstuff ed so it reaches an even temperature, and bake the stuffi ng in a separate pan. Wash all fruits and vegetables, especial- ly those that will be eaten raw (including lettuce and other salad greens). It is often easier to wash them before any guests ar-
rive, and refrigerate until serving. Prepa- ration is much easier when the kitchen isn’t crowded and the hosts aren’t rushed. Avoid contaminating one food with an-
other. For example, if you set an uncooked giblet package from a turkey on a cutting board used to prepare salad, the salad greens will be contaminated. Always cook eggs before eating. If a reci- pe — such as for Caesar dressing — calls for raw eggs, use pasteurized egg products. Serve food immediately after cooking,
while it’s still hot. Don’t let warm food sit on counters; bacteria grow well in warm temperatures. If you are bringing a dish to a potluck, either keep it hot en route or cook it completely at home, refrigerate it, transport it cold, and reheat it after you arrive at your destination. Serve food with utensils to minimize contact with fi ngers. Add a spoon to a bowl of nuts, toothpicks to fruit and cheese plates, and a cake server to desserts. Care of food after the meal is as im- portant as proper handling and cooking beforehand. Immediately after the meal, refrigerate or freeze leftovers, including any that are packaged for guests to take home. Plan ahead — think about how much refrigerator space you will need.
MO
— Rear Adm. Joyce Johnson, USPHS-Ret., D.O., M.A., is vice president, Health Sciences, Battelle Memorial Institute, Arlington, Va. Find more health and wellness resources at www
.moaa.org/wellness. For submission information, see page 18.
*online: Visit
www.cdc.gov/features/turkeytime for more information on safe turkey preparation. 48 MILITARY OFFICER DECEMBER 2011
PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT
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