|
Safely Enjoying Your Holiday Leftovers
KNOXVILLE, Dec 10, 2004 —
Your holiday feast has been enjoyed by everyone, and now, the leftovers – What should do you? As tempted as you may be to join the others in front of the television for the bowl games, for the sake of health, it’s best to get those leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer right away.
According to Ann Draughon, co-director of the University of Tennessee Food Safety Center of Excellence, food should not be left out at room temperature more than two hours.
“Illness-causing bacteria thrive between 40 and 140 degrees, multiplying at an amazing speed, but grow very slowly in the refrigerator,” Draughon says. “And food pathogens, those microbes that cause food-borne disease, or food poisoning, typically don’t have an odor and can’t be seen, so people are particularly vulnerable.”
Draughon offers the following suggestions for safely serving food and storing leftovers:
- Keep foods at the proper temperatures (below 40 degrees F or above 140 degrees). Use chafing dishes, slow cookers and warming trays to keep hot foods hot. Set salads and other cold foods in containers of ice to keep them chilled.
- Place warm leftovers in lidded containers two to three inches deep. Put the containers in the refrigerator or freezer with an inch or two of space around each for quick, even cooling.
- Do not place large containers, such as large pots of soup, in the refrigerator because the contents will take too long to cool and allow bacterial growth. Instead, put hot foods in small, shallow storage containers, and then refrigerate.
- To put away leftover turkey, take the meat off the bone and store in the refrigerator for three to four days or freeze for four to six months.
- When you reheat leftovers, make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees; sauces, soups, and gravies should be brought to a rolling boil before serving again.
Draughon also suggests the following cooking temperatures for meats and other foods:
- Ground beef, veal, lamb, or pork = 160 degrees
- Beef, veal, or lamb roasts, steaks, or chops = 145 to 170 degrees
- Pork roasts, steaks, or chops = 160 to 170 degrees
- Ground chicken or turkey = 165 degrees
- Whole chicken or turkey, chicken breasts = 180 degrees
- Stuffing, alone or in the bird = 165 degrees
- Leftovers and casseroles = 165 degrees
Established in July 2001, the UT Food Safety Center of Excellence develops and evaluates strategies for destroying or controlling food-borne pathogens and reducing their occurrence on the farm, in food distribution and retail centers and ultimately in the home. The Center's multi-disciplinary team of researchers includes scientists with expertise in microbiology, food science, animal and plant production, infectious diseases risk assessment, food service management, and other areas.
The team's efforts are coordinated by the Center's co-directors: Dr. Ann Draughon, a professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology, and Dr. Stephen Oliver, a professor in the Department of Animal Science.
###
Contact:
Linda Cabage, 865-974-7141
Ann Draughon, 865-974-7425
Original news item at:
http://agriculture.tennessee.edu/news/releases/0411-leftovers.htm.
|
