Scientists from the American College of Emergency Physicians – ACEP – have published some guidelines for people celebrating the holiday season this Thanksgiving to ensure health and safety to all people celebrating the event.
The experts from the American College of Emergency Physicians have highlighted the significance of organization, preparation as well as common sense when it comes to eating meals and preparing them in the event.
To make sure people take under consideration important tips, do’s and don’t regarding Thanksgiving, it is important to create some awareness regarding meal planning to stay away from hospitals and emergency departments as much as possible.
Practise of safe techniques for cooking
The most important element of staying safe from any foodborne illness is to ensure safety at its optimum level. To ensure all bacteria and harmful micro organisms are killed, it is essential to check adequate cooking temperature level, instruction manual follow up, and ensuring that the ovens and microwaves are working at their best.
If proper care is not taken in this regard, it can lead to foodborne illnesses coming from bacteria of different kinds, especially salmonella, an important foodborne illness causing bacteria found in uncooked poultry.
Thawing the meat
For thawing food, it is necessary to give them an adequate temperature to make sure all harmful bacteria trapped in the juices is drained out before the cooking process. for example, turkey, a staple for every Thanksgiving dinner plan, needs a minimum 325 degree F cooking temperature after thawing to prevent any safety hazard.
The Center of Disease Control and Prevention emphasizes on not thawing the turkey meat on the counter in open, rather, refrigerating the meat within a closed environment will be helpful. For every five pounds of weight of the turkey, it is recommended by the CDC to wait at least a day for the thawing process when it comes to refrigeration.
Consumption of Leftover Food and Handwashing
The US Department of Agriculture highlights that the leftover food after the major meal of Thanksgiving goes well for three to four days on refrigeration. Moreover, it is also heavily suggested that people wash their hands before and after eating meals, cook on clean surfaces, and be sure to avoid any chances of cross contamination when it comes to switching animal and plant sources of food.
Don’t Leave Children Unsupervised
Make sure the kids are not left unsupervised in the kitchen as hot utensils and sharp knives can cause any injury which can lead to severe injury. People must make sure they do not leave anything under cooking unattended for a long time in the kitchen and there are no candles lit in the vicinity of ingredients and clothing items.
Avoid overeating
Overeating in Thanksgiving can cause many stomach and other health issues for people, especially those having diabetes. It is better to eat a balanced meal so unwanted flatulence, nausea, vomiting, and bloating does not occur.
Following these tips according to the ACEP will be beneficial for you and your family as you will be able to have more fun on Thanksgiving without any fuss.
