Thanksgiving is best known as a holiday focused on gratitude and delicious food and there’s no quicker way to ruin the celebration than with food poisoning. TriCounty Health Department is encouraging all Basin residents to take food safety seriously this Thanksgiving by following basic guidelines. According to TriCounty representative Gary Stewart, it’s important to make sure to clean surfaces and hands and to keep things separated. “You don’t want raw foods with the cooked foods or raw foods with the vegetables,” shares Stewart. Rinse off your turkey with water and be sure the internal temperature on the thickest part of the meat reaches 165 degrees. A common incorrect practice around Thanksgiving is people leaving the turkey out all night on the counter to thaw. It needs to thaw 4 to 5 days in the fridge, shares Stewart, not on the counter. To avoid the potential of food poisoning after the meal is done, be sure to put food away within 2 hours. Do not leave the food out all day and be sure to use leftovers within 3 days. For more tips, visit
www.tricountyhealth.com
.
