7 Essential Food Safety Tips Monmouth County NJ Residents Should 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?

Outbreaks of Clostridium perfringens, a common cause of food poisoning in the United States, occur frequently in November and December.

With that in mind, here’s advice from food safety pros on some common ways people mishandle their favorite holiday foods, plus how to stay safe while stuffing yourself.

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.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also advises swapping in new serving dishes and utensils rather than simply adding fresh food to the ones you’ve already set out. That way, if any bacteria or other germs have begun to grow, you’ll avoid them.

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

Bacteria tends to grow quickly in temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees F, so perishable food should never be left out at room temperature for more than two hours, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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.

Make sure your fridge is set to 40 degrees F or lower, and that soups and stews are adequately cooled before you refrigerate them. You can divide large pots into smaller, shallow containers to help them cool faster, or set them in an ice bath, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

3. Be Cautious With Deli Meats

Holiday lunch buffets often feature sandwich options like deli meat. While unopened packages of deli meat can last up to two weeks in your fridge, once they’ve been opened — or if they’re from the deli counter instead of commercially sealed — you’ll only have three to five days to use them.

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. 

It’s always best to wash fruits and vegetables before eating them. Produce with a firm surface, like apples or potatoes, can be scrubbed using a brush.

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

Remember Clostridium perfringens, the bacteria that sickens people each November and December? Well it’s commonly found in cooked foods that are served during the holidays, such as turkey and roast beef, according to the CDC.

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

Several holiday favorites — like eggnog — may contain raw eggs or yolks. Because of that, the CDC suggests using pasteurized eggs for these dishes.

At the store, unpasteurized shell eggs are required to have safe handling instructions printed on the carton. If there aren’t any instructions printed, it means the eggs are pasteurized.

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.”

FDA recommendations state to only buy eggs that have been properly refrigerated. You should also open the carton and check for clean, uncracked shells.

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.

How long they will last depends on the type of food you have, but a good rule of thumb is to eat leftovers within three to four days. If you want to keep them longer, put them in the freezer and eat them within about one to two months.

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.

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