Food safety’s a matter of degrees

While you’re busy with the soup-to-nuts planning that goes into making Thanksgiving dinner, take a few minutes to check out one of the most important ingredients—a working knowledge of how to get the bird to the table safely.

The USDA has tips for properly thawing, stuffing and roasting a turkey. If you’d like to talk it over, the USDA’s meat and poultry hotline will be open for business and staffed with real live technical information specialists on Thanksgiving from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m., Pacific Standard Time. The number is 1-888-674-6854. The USDA’s live chat feature, www.askkaren.gov, also will be available.

Here are some other food preparation tips, courtesy of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health:

• Wash fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating or cutting them.

• Separate raw meats and poultry from other foods such as fruits and vegetables. Avoid cross-contamination by using separate cutting boards, knives, and platters for these foods.

• Wash cutting boards, utensils, and platters after preparing each food item and before going on to the next item.

• Bring sauces, soups, and gravies to a rolling boil when re-heating.

• Keep hot foods hot. Use chafing dishes or pans with Sternos or other heating devices, or keep foods in the oven at a temperature to ensure they remain at 135° F or above.

• Keep cold foods cold. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

• Don’t “taste test” food or drinks to see if they have spoiled.

Posted 11/22/10