Steven Cohen (202) 720-9113
Susan Conley (202) 720-7943

Keep Children Safe From Foodborne Illness During The Holidays

ATLANTA, Dec. 5, 2002—Parties with mouth-watering food buffets are sure to be in abundance during this holiday season. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is reminding consumers to be "food smart" for themselves and their children when enjoying these holiday goodies.

In an event today at Crème de la Crème childcare center in Buckhead, USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Elsa Murano and Miss America 1995 Heather Whitestone McCallum encouraged parents to learn and use good food safety practices during the holidays and all through the year to protect the health of their children.

"Preventing foodborne illness during holiday parties is critical," said Dr. Elsa Murano. "Scientific data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that children under the age of 10 have higher incidences of Salmonella illnesses, a common foodborne illness, than any other age group."

When serving food at a holiday gathering, it is important to maintain safe temperatures. Hot foods like turkey, ham, stuffing, chicken fingers and meatballs should be served hot and replenished frequently. Cold foods, such as chicken salad or potato salad, should be served and kept cold. A helpful hint is to prepare extra serving platters and dishes ahead of time, store them in the refrigerator or keep them hot in the oven (set at approximately 200 – 250 ºF) prior to serving. Any perishable foods on the buffet table that are not served with a hot source (such as chafing dishes or slow cookers) or cold source (such as by nesting serving dishes in bowls of ice) should be discarded after two hours at room temperature.

Bacteria can also multiply quickly in moist desserts that contain dairy products. Keep eggnog, cheesecakes, cream pies, and cakes with whipped-cream and cream-cheese frostings refrigerated right up until serving time.

A variety of holiday foods may contain raw eggs or lightly cooked eggs. Most commercially sold eggnog is pasteurized, meaning that the mixture has been heated to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria that may have been present in the raw ingredients. However, if you’re making your own eggnog, be sure to use a recipe that calls for slowly heating the mixture to 160 ºF. This will maintain the taste and texture while also killing bacteria.

"As tempting as it is, do not let your child eat raw cookie dough or lick the beaters after mixing cake batter," observed Dr. Murano. "Remember that if the dough or batter contain raw eggs, it could also contain Salmonella—a leading cause of foodborne illness."

USDA reminds consumers to follow the four basic food safety steps:

• Clean. Wash hands and surfaces often.
• Separate. Separate raw meat, poultry, and egg products from cooked foods to avoid cross-contamination.
• Cook. Raw meat, poultry, and egg products need to be cooked thoroughly. Use a food thermometer to ensure foods have reached a high enough temperature to kill any harmful bacteria that may be present.
• Chill. Store leftovers within two hours of cooking.

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has a publication to help consumers safely plan and serve food for group gatherings. Single copies of the Cooking for Groups: A Volunteer's Guide to Food Safety are available free by writing: Federal Citizen Information Center, Item #604 H, Pueblo, CO 81009. The Cooking for Groups Web page can be found at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/cfg/cfg.htm.

For additional food safety information about meat, poultry, or egg products in English or Spanish, call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1 (800) 535-4555; for the hearing impaired (TTY) 1 (800) 256-7072. The hotline is staffed by food safety experts from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time. Food safety recordings can be heard 24 hours a day using a touch-tone phone. E-mail the hotline at mphotline.fsis@usda.gov.

Food safety information is available on the FSIS Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov.

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For Further Information, Contact:
FSIS Congressional and Public Affairs Staff
Phone: (202) 720-9113
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