More on how to avoid the Emergency Department

Food poisoning is, unfortunately, not uncommon to see in an ED this time of year. (Earlier this month, I talked about chest pain in the Emergency Department – Holiday Heart and the strain that excess food and alcohol can put on your heart. )

Why talk about it today? If you are using a frozen turkey, for many, it’s already defrosting now. It takes 24 hours for every 2kg of turkey to defrost, and defrosting it in the fridge is safest.

Raw turkey or its juices can make people very ill, so here’s some tips to avoid meeting my colleagues in the Emergency Department this holiday week: Thoroughly wash hands and utensils, dishes, or surfaces that come in contact with raw turkey. Don’t wash a turkey before cooking. Cook stuffing separately, not inside the turkey. Use a meat thermometer to check if it’s done.

Even if you aren’t serving turkey, remember that everyone helping out in the kitchen should wash their hands with soap and water before handling food.

Leftovers are another cause of food poisoning. Cool food to room temp and put in airtight containers in fridge within 2 hours. Leftovers should only be reheated once, and should be reheated to be piping hot. All leftovers should be eaten within 3 days.

Check out Safefood for more expert tips on keeping your kitchen safe this holiday season.

#HealthyHolidays is a virtual advent calendar focusing on your health this holiday season.