A beautiful spread can quickly turn bad when foodborne illness is the outcome from poor food safety measures.

As we begin preparing for holiday feasts and parties let’s remember that if you want your guests coming back next year, not making them sick from your food is number 1.   There are some basic steps you can take to make sure there are no chances for your friends and family to contract a foodborne illness.

The FDA article Food Safety Tips for the Holidays covers some basic tips to keep your next feast free of any bacteria.

Key Points for Food Safety

Clean – It is important to keep your hands and cooking materials clean.  Always wash your hands before and after handling food.  This also goes for cutting boards, knives and anything that comes in contact with the food.

Separate – It is very important that you separate foods from ones that are being cooked and those not being cooked.  The juices from eggs and meats can spread on to foods not being cooked and easily spread bacteria.  It is suggested to use different cutting boards, knives and to keep them separated through out preparation to keep from spreading bacteria.

Cook – One of the easiest ways to incur foodborne illnesses is eating uncooked meats.  Use a thermometer!  Follow this guide for cooking temperatures to be safe.

Chill – The last thing to remember when finishing your meal is to refrigerate your leftovers before it has a chance to grow any bacteria.  When defrosting food thaw in the refrigerator, under cold water or in the microwave and do not thaw at room temperature.

These helpful tips of food safety will keep you and your family happy and healthy this holiday season!