Thanksgiving Food Safety Tips
Huron County Public Health (HCPH) wants to wish all of Huron County a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. Here are some tips to keep you and your family safe from food poisoning this holiday!

Cooking a turkey takes a lot of preparation! If the turkey is not stored or cooked correctly, people may unintentionally make their guests or family members sick.
Wash your hands and surfaces often.
Don’t cross-contaminate. Even after you’ve cleaned your hands and surfaces thoroughly, raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can still spread germs to ready-to-eat foods—unless you keep them separate.
Safely thaw a frozen turkey in the refrigerator, in a sink of cold water that is changed every 30 minutes, or in the microwave.

A thawed turkey or a fresh turkey should spend no more than two days in the refrigerator before cooking.
Don’t rinse the turkey. Poultry can be contaminated with bacteria that causes food-borne illnesses and rinsing the turkey can spread bacteria. Cooking it thoroughly to 165°F is the only way to kill bacteria that may be present.

Do not stuff turkeys that are going to be grilled, smoked, or microwaved.
Prepare stuffing safely by cooking any raw meat, poultry or shellfish before stuffing the turkey. Do not cool stuffing before stuffing the turkey. Stuff the turkey loosely – about ¾ cup of stuffing per pound.
Use a food thermometer to ensure that foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature: 145°F for whole meats, 160°F for ground meats, and 165°F for all poultry (including turkey).
Keep your refrigerator below 40°F and refrigerate foods properly. Germs can grow in many foods within 2 hours unless you refrigerate them.
For more information and holiday safety tips visit www.huroncohealth.com.