Here’s
to your health
AAPCC offers tips for a safe and healthy
Thanksgiving meal
Here
are a few tips from the American Association of Poison
Control Centers to keep that most unwelcome Thanksgiving
guest – food poisoning – from messing up your
perfect holiday meal.
> Handle
food carefully. Food poisoning usually happens from poor
food-handling practices. Symptoms can be fever,
headache, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort and often vomiting.
The guilty party in all food poisonings is bacteria, which
enters our bodies through contaminated food. Wash hands,
dishes, utensils, kitchen equipment and work surfaces before
and after handling. Be particularly careful around knives,
washing them thoroughly after each use. And remember, even
frozen food can contain bacteria.
> Cook food carefully. Salmonella is a common cause of
food poisoning and while it’s normally not fatal, it
is widespread. It is typically found in raw meats, poultry,
eggs, milk, fish and their bi-products. Salmonella can only
be destroyed by cooking food thoroughly and with temperatures
above 140 degrees.
> Thaw turkey carefully. It’s okay to thaw turkey
in its original plastic for one to two days. After that,
move the turkey to plastic wrap or foil. Don’t keep
it in its original wrapping for more than two days. Thaw
turkey or poultry inside the fridge, rather than elsewhere
in your kitchen.
> Don’t
stuff the turkey in advance and then refrigerate it. The
core of the turkey is a perfect place for bacteria
to grow. Remove all stuffing before refrigerating leftover
meats. Also keep the stuffing, gravy or broth in a separate
container.
> Be careful around the booze. Adults, obviously, should
always drink responsibly, but in large gatherings, it’s
important to be mindful of small children – particularly
those who aren’t afraid to pick up discarded cups left
behind by adults. Even small amounts of alcohol can poison
a young child.
> Be wary of choking hazards. Peanuts, raisins, hard
candies, cocktail sausages and other hors d’oeuvres
are tasty additions to any holiday meal, but they can be
choking hazards for the littlest partiers. And many pediatricians
advise that children under the age of one year avoid nuts,
because of the risk of allergies. Keep these foods out of
the reach of very young children to prevent a choking incident.
The
American Association of Poison Control Centers supports
the nation’s 60 poison control centers in their efforts
to keep Thanksgiving and every other meal safe every day
of the year. Poison centers offer free and confidential services
24 hours a day, seven days a week.
For questions about poisons on Thanksgiving and any other
day of the year, call your local poison control center at
1 (800) 222-1222.
For more information on protection from poisoning and for
a press release regarding hand sanitizers, log on to www.adams-county-health-center.org
and click on Links.
For
more information , go to Links.
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