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Welcome, HelloFresh Customers!

We're so glad you're here. At USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) we're passionate about food safety. Below you'll find information and resources on how to safely handle your food at home, including the food you're preparing from your HelloFresh meal kit.

Every year, foodborne illness causes 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths nationwide. There are simple steps we can all take at home that will help reduce the risk of foodborne illness. More information on foodborne illness can be found at our Foodborne Illness and Disease factsheet.

The promotional insert you received can be saved for easy reference, like putting it right on your fridge! The safe internal temperatures chart is also available as a magnet – contact the FSIS Outreach team at FSIS.Outreach@usda.gov to order your free magnet and food thermometer* today!

* While supplies last. Please mention hearing of the promotion from HelloFresh.

Food Safety Basics

You can't see, smell, or taste harmful bacteria that may cause illness, so it's important to follow a few key steps in food handling, cooking, and storage to prevent foodborne illness. Here are the four to keep top of mind:

Clean - Start with clean hands, utensils, and surfaces. Cleaning is not just important at the start of food preparation. Be sure you also wash them throughout and after food preparation to ensure bacteria do not spread.
Separate - Keep raw meat and poultry separate from cooked foods or other foods that will not be cooked later in the process.
Cook - Always cook your food to a safe minimum internal temperature, which you should measure with a food thermometer. This will ensure any harmful bacteria in your food has been killed before you eat it.
Chill - Keep perishable foods at a safe temperature: below 40°F. Follow the two-hour rule and do not leave perishable foods at room temperature for more than two hours (or one hour if the food is sitting in temperatures above 90°F). Plan to use or freeze leftovers within four days of when you first cooked them. Before you eat leftovers, reheat them to 165°F.

You can find more food safety basics at Steps to Keep Food Safe.

Thanksgiving and Food Safety

Happy Thanksgiving Week! Whether you’re cooking a whole turkey with sides or preparing delicious recipes from your HelloFresh box, keep food safety in mind. If you are cooking a whole turkey, turkey parts, or other turkey alternatives, watch this video on how to prepare Thanksgiving turkey safely:

Fresh turkey: The "fresh" label means the turkey has never been chilled below 26°F. Fresh turkeys should not be purchased until one or two days before Thanksgiving, unless the manufacturer’s tag has a "Best by" or "Use by" date that indicates the turkey will be safe until Thanksgiving. If there is no manufacturer’s tag, then purchase a fresh turkey the Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving at the earliest. If you bring home a fresh turkey before Tuesday, it should be frozen before cooking.

Frozen turkey: A frozen turkey is a turkey that has been cooled to 0°F or lower. Most turkeys sold in the United States are frozen. When purchasing a frozen turkey, make sure to leave enough time for it to defrost.

There are three safe ways to thaw a turkey — in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in a microwave oven. When thawing or storing raw turkey in the refrigerator, make sure it is wrapped securely and place it on a plate or casserole dish to prevent cross-contamination, or raw juices getting onto ready-to-eat food.

Thawing a turkey on the counter, in the garage, basement, or anywhere at room temperature is unsafe. It is not recommended to thaw outside (even if it is cold) since temperatures can vary.

More detailed information about safely thawing can be found here: Turkey Basics: Safe Thawing

Before and after handling any raw meat or poultry, always wash hands in soapy water for 20 seconds.

Keep raw turkey separate from any ready-to-eat foods or foods that won't be cooked later (e.g., vegetables, fruits, side dishes). This helps prevent the spread of germs to these foods, which could get you sick if consumed. After cutting or preparing raw turkey, wash cutting boards, utensils, and counter tops with hot, soapy water. After washing, sanitize cutting boards and surfaces by using a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per 1 gallon of water.

Washing or rinsing raw turkey before you cook your Thanksgiving meal is risky because bacteria can spread around your kitchen and to other foods you may be preparing. To avoid this risk, it is safest to not wash raw turkey. However, if you do choose to wash or rinse your raw turkey, make sure to thoroughly clean and sanitize the sink and surrounding areas before continuing to prep. More information about washing foods (including turkey) and how to properly clean and sanitize here: Washing Food: Does it Promote Food Safety?

Many people choose to brine or stuff their turkeys – however, there are safety considerations for each. To safely brine a turkey, place the brining solution in food-grade plastic, stainless steel, or glass containers. Food-grade plastic bags can be used for brining — do not use a household trash bag. Totally submerge the turkey in the solution and store covered in the refrigerator or in a cooler with ice. More information about brining here: Poultry: Basting, Brining, and Marinating

USDA does not recommend stuffing a whole turkey because it increases the risk of cross-contamination and takes longer to cook. For optimal safety and uniform doneness, cook stuffing separately. If you do choose to stuff your bird, do not stuff a turkey the night before cooking it. Harmful bacteria can multiply in the stuffing and cause foodborne illness when a stuffed bird is refrigerated. In addition to the turkey, the center of the stuffing needs to reach a safe internal temperature of 165°F. More information about stuffing here: Turkey Basics: Stuffing

USDA recommends cooking turkey to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F as measured with a food thermometer. This is the minimum temperature necessary to eliminate bacteria. Pop-up timers can be convenient to know when your turkey is getting close, but it only takes the temperature in one place. Your turkey is safe to eat when the temperature reads 165°F in three places:

The thickest part of the breast.
The innermost part of the thigh.
The innermost part of the wing.

More information about safely cooking turkey can be found here: Turkey Basics: Safe Cooking and Turkey: Alternate Routes to the Table (i.e., deep fat frying, slow cooking, grilling)

Follow the two-hour rule: Foodborne illness-causing bacteria grows rapidly when food is left out at temperatures between 40°F and 140°F. Food that is between the temperatures of 40°F and 140°F is in the Danger Zone and only has a limited time (2 hours or 1 hour if above 90°F) before it becomes a food safety risk. Remember to refrigerate food within two hours, and within one hour if it’s a hot day (above 90°F).

Leftovers (including appetizers, side dishes and the turkey) should be stored within two hours of cooking (if not being held above 140°F). Dividing leftovers into smaller portions (including carving the turkey) and refrigerating or freezing them in covered shallow containers helps cool leftovers more quickly.

Thanksgiving leftovers are safe in the refrigerator for up to four days or until the Monday after Thanksgiving to eat them, or you can place them in the freezer to enjoy later. If you store leftovers in the freezer, they will remain of best quality for up to two to six months. More information about safely handling cooked turkey dinners here: Turkey Basics: Handling Cooked Dinners

Food Safety Questions? Contact the Meat and Poultry Hotline!

USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline is staffed with food safety specialists who are equipped to answer questions about safe food handling, primarily for meat, poultry, and egg products. The Hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10 am-6 pm ET (except Federal Holidays). The Hotline is open on Thanksgiving Day from 8 am-2 pm to help with any Turkey day questions!

Phone: 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854)

Email: MPHotline@usda.gov

meat and poultry hotline hours

Factsheets and Resources

More information about safely purchasing, thawing, stuffing, brining, cooking, and saving leftover turkey can be found within these various resources: