Keep Foods Intact but Foodborne Illnesses Out

Celebrate Christmas with Good Health

Christmas and New Year are around the corner and all of us are gearing to celebrate this holiday season with lots of fun, food and happiness. No social gathering is complete without delicious traditional dishes and yummy recipes. Most of you must have already started planning an elaborate meal for the festive season. While some dishes might be the staple ones that are part of any Christmas or New Year dinner, some others might be customized ones which you have specially planned for the gathering.

Food might be something that we look forward to, but foodborne illness is not. Ensure that these illnesses are not part of your elaborate menu. Many of your side dishes may be accompanied by some fresh roasts, such as a turkey, lamb or ham roast, and these need to be completely cooked to kill the bacteria that might be present. Keep your foods safe, for instance, meat and poultry, by cooking them to the right temperatures. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of these foods.

Some individuals might prefer to cook poultry or meat to higher temperatures. If this is what is wanted, let it be done. Your goal should be to cook foods to a particular degree and temperature so that they do not lead to foodborne illness later. Please visit the website www.firsteatright.com for more information on using a food thermometer and maintaining the desired internal temperature.