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Austin Public Health releases food handling guidelines for holiday season

Published  November 21, 2019 10:28am CST
News
FOX 7 Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin Public Health has released a list of guidelines to help Texans practice safe food handling during the holiday season. 

According to a report published by APH, over 17,000 Texans get sick from foodborne illnesses on a yearly basis. As the holiday season draws nearer, food safety has become more of a priority to protect families from foodborne illnesses.

Thanksgiving hosts will spend $300 or more this year

In order to keep people out of the hospital during the holidays, experts from the APH has put together this list of food handling guidelines:

Austin Public Health Food Handling Guidelines 

    • Wash your hands often including before, during and after preparing food, after touching raw meat, raw eggs, or unwashed veggies and before eating or drinking.
    • Cook food thoroughly and use a food thermometer to ensure foods are cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature.
    • Keep hot food hot at 135 degrees or above and cold food cold at 41 degrees or below, and refrigerate any perishable food within two hours.   
    • Reheat leftover food to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, regardless of the type of food.   
    • Do not eat dough or batter made with flour or eggs.   
    • Keep meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from all other foods.   
    • Defrost your turkey in the fridge or under warm running water.

 “Holidays are best spent with friends and family,” said Don Hastings, assistant director of the Environmental Health Services Division. “Please take the extra time to ensure your holiday feast is safely prepared and stored to avoid a trip to the hospital.”

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