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For Immediate Release:

November 24, 2015

Safety Tips to Protect Against Foodborne Illness This Thanksgiving
Public Health Offers Safe Food Preparation Tips

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) would like everyone to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday by staying safe and healthy. To keep your friends and family safe, Public Health recommends the following tips to avoid foodborne illness and keep the holiday celebration festive.

“As we celebrate this Thanksgiving holiday, it is important to protect loved ones and guests by preparing foods properly,” said Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, MD, MPH, Interim Health Officer for Los Angeles County. “You can help prevent foodborne illness by following some simple food handling tips and cooking your turkey and other meats to appropriate temperatures.”

Food Handling Tips
Each year Public Health investigates cases of foodborne illness during the holidays that are the result of undercooked food and poor food handling practices. Typical symptoms of foodborne illness (sometimes known as food poisoning) include stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, all of which can start hours or days after consuming contaminated food or drink. For healthy people, most symptoms usually go away after a few hours or days without treatment. Foodborne illness can be severe and even life-threatening in older adults, infants and young children, pregnant women, and those with conditions that weaken their immune systems, such as HIV/AIDS or cancer drug therapy.

Raw or undercooked turkey, chicken, or other meats can contain Campylobacter, Salmonella or E.coli bacteria that cause diarrhea and other health problems. These bacteria can multiply rapidly when poultry is taken out of refrigeration and before it is thoroughly cooked. Freezing does not kill these bacteria, but they are destroyed when food is cooked to the proper temperature.

To thaw a turkey:

To cook a turkey:

When purchasing a fresh turkey, plan to cook it within 1- 2 days after purchase. Do not buy fresh pre-stuffed turkeys. If not handled properly, any harmful bacteria that may be in the stuffing can multiply very quickly. Frozen pre-stuffed turkeys are safe because they have been processed under controlled conditions. Do not thaw frozen pre-stuffed turkeys. Cook from the frozen state by following package directions.

Other food handling tips include:

Foodborne illnesses can be caused by raw or lightly cooked eggs or egg products used in foods such as salad dressings, cookie or cake batter, sauces such as hollandaise sauce, and beverages such as eggnog. Avoid eating uncooked items containing raw or lightly cooked eggs or egg products. Substitute pasteurized eggs when cooking these foods. If you get a foodborne illness, seek medical attention.

For more information on safe cooking, visit the USDA website at: www.usda.gov or call their toll-free Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854 or for the Hearing Impaired: 1-800-256-7072 (TTY). Food safety specialists are available, in English or Spanish, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time during the week year round. An extensive menu of recorded food safety messages may be heard 24 hours a day.

The Department of Public Health is committed to protecting and improving the health of the nearly 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Public Health comprises nearly 4,000 employees and has an annual budget exceeding $900 million. To learn more about Public Health and the work we do please visit www.publichea lth.lacounty.gov, visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube. com/lapublichealth, find us on Facebook at www.faceboo k.com/lapublichealth, or follow us on Twitter: @LAPublicHealth.





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