Oregon Health Authority shares 4 steps to ensure a happy and healthy holiday

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)-- They recommend washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before, during, and after preparing food—especially after handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, flour, or eggs. Cooks should also wash utensils, cutting boards, and countertops with hot, soapy water between tasks, and rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water.

To prevent cross-contamination, officials say raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs should be kept separate from other foods while shopping and stored on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator in sealed containers so juices don’t drip. They also advise using one cutting board or plate for raw meat and a different one for produce, bread, and other ready-to-eat items.

When it’s time to cook, they stress that the only reliable way to know if food is done is by using a food thermometer and checking that it has reached a safe internal temperature, such as 165 degrees for turkey. Finally, perishable foods should not sit out for more than two hours—or just one hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees.

Leftovers should go into clean, shallow containers and be refrigerated promptly so they cool quickly. Frozen foods must be thawed safely in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave—and never left out on the counter, where parts of the food can reach the “danger zone” and allow harmful bacteria to multiply.