STERITECH’S FOOD SAFETY TIPS FOR A HEALTHY THANKSGIVING DINNER

Don’t Leave the Bird Sitting on the Counter to Thaw

Nov. 23, 2009 (CHARLOTTE, NC) – To insure a healthy Thanksgiving dinner for all Americans, the Steritech Group, Inc., North America’s leader in food safety and pest prevention services for the hospitality, retail, food processing and healthcare industries, is offering “Food Safety Tips for a Happy Thanksgiving.”

Thawing your turkey by leaving it sitting on the counter can allow dangerous bacteria to grow, warns Steritech’s Beth Cannon, Manager, Technical Research and Regulatory Affairs.  To prepare healthy Thanksgiving feasts, she offered the following food safety tips, including alerting guests to ingredients that might cause allergic reactions and other good practices:

•  Thaw your bird by placing it in the refrigerator several days before you plan to prepare it, using the formula of 5 pounds per day of thawing time.

• You can also thaw a frozen turkey by submerging it in cold, running water. The U.S. Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) recommends 30 minutes of submersion per pound.

• Using a microwave is acceptable, according to FSIS, but Steritech warns that microwaving heats food products unevenly, which may result in some parts of the turkey being cooked before the entire turkey is thawed.

• Set the oven temperature to a minimum of 325°F.

•  Always check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer, even turkeys that have a pop-up thermometer. Temperatures should be taken at several spots on the bird, inserting the thermometer deeply into the meat. The internal temperature should be at least 165°F.

• FSIS recommends cooking stuffing in a separate casserole dish.

• Be sure to ask guests about their food allergies. The most common food allergies are: wheat, milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, fish and soy products.

• Read pre-packaged product labels carefully. Many mixes, such as those for gravies or breads, may contain the common allergens.

• Leftovers must be cooled to below 70°F or lower within 2 hours, and then to 41°F or below within an additional four hours. The best way to achieve this is by breaking larger food items up into smaller or thinner portions.

Steritech’s complete Thanksgiving food safety tips can be found at http://www.steritech.com/

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The Steritech Group, Inc. provides specialized brand protection services for the hospitality, retail, food processing and healthcare industries. The premier provider of food safety, quality assurance and pest prevention services, Steritech is a trusted partner to many of the world’s leading brands. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Steritech has operations throughout North America and serves clients in 30 countries. For more information on Steritech, please visit www.steritech.com or call 1.800.868.0089, ext. 703.