7 Essential Food Safety Tips to Follow This Holiday Season

Food is at the center of most holiday celebrations, and after it has been lovingly prepared and served, ’tis the season for leftovers. But how long should you keep them for?

1. Freshen Up Your Holiday Buffet

A fully stocked buffet makes for an impressive holiday spread, but the general limit for letting food — hot or cold — sit out is two hours at room temperature, says Janilyn Hutchings, a certified food safety professional and food scientist at StateFoodSafety, a food safety certification and training program for the hospitality industry, based in Orem, Utah.

For that reason, it’s a better idea to set out smaller amounts and replenish them more frequently. To save on time, you can arrange several platters and keep them refrigerated until needed.

When preparing vegetables and fruit, also make sure to cut away any damaged or bruised areas — bacteria can thrive in those places.

2. Chill Soups and Stews Properly

This can be challenging when you have large amounts of hot food, such as soups and stews, because if they haven’t cooled enough, they can actually raise the temperature in your fridge to an unsafe level temporarily, putting other foods in there at risk, says Kim Rose, RDN, a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant based in Lakeland, Florida.

3. Be Cautious With Deli Meats

If you’re serving any kind of deli meat, put out small amounts and refresh the buffet as needed, says Hutchings. These meats can be unsafe after just an hour or two outside the refrigerator.

4. Wash Raw Produce

Fruits and veggies are supposed to be good for us, so you probably think a nice tray of raw produce with some dip is a good option. And it is — as long as you wash it before slicing, chopping, or peeling.

Also remember to clean and sanitize your inner sink, countertops, and utensils before washing produce, to prevent cross-contamination. This is especially important for surfaces that have touched raw meat, poultry, or seafood, or any of their juices.

5. Don’t Let Roasts Rest Too Long

Letting those big roasts sit out at room temperature for more than two hours turns them into a breeding ground for C. perfringens. As a way to lower risk, consider carving the turkey or slicing other meats in the kitchen and putting half on a serving tray and refrigerating the rest immediately.

6. Use Pasteurized Eggs

Safe handling instructions read as follows: “Safe handling instructions: To prevent illness from bacteria: Keep eggs refrigerated, cook eggs until yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly.”

7. Refrigerate and Enjoy Leftovers Promptly

Immediately refrigerate any cut items such as salad or cut fruit for best quality and food safety.

If you’re taking leftovers home from a party or dinner, you’ll want to be aware how long they’ve been sitting out. Refrigerate them if it’s been close to two hours. And refrigerate or freeze them as soon as you get them home.

Whether you’re thawing them to reheat or taking them directly out of the fridge, do an inspection first, Hutchings adds. That’s true even if you put them in yesterday.

“Take a look and definitely smell what you’re going to reheat,” she says. Not every food has a telltale sign of being off, such as sourness or discoloration, but many times you may be able to detect if something is spoiled.

And like the old adage goes: When in doubt, throw it out.

The Takeaway

• The holiday season is full of delicious food, but food poisoning can put a damper on the festivities.
• Proper storage and preparation are key to prevent illness. Minimize risk by choosing pasteurized eggs, for example, and don’t leave food out for more than two hours.
• Try to eat your leftovers within three to four days of when they were prepared. Any longer than that and it might be best to toss them away.