| Food makes the holidays more festive. | | | | thermometer.12. Use a clean spoon every |
| At this time of year you enjoy family | | | | time you taste food.13. Clear leftover |
| dinners, church potlucks, office | | | | food quickly and refrigerate.AT WORK1. |
| parties, buffet lunches, cookie | | | | Ask a knowledgable person to be in |
| exchanges, and cups of cheer. Gifts are | | | | charge.2. Refrigerate donated food |
| exchanged, too, and food poisoning is | | | | immediately.3. Wash hands before |
| the "gift" you don't want.Though it's | | | | handling food. (Buy several bottles of |
| relatively rare in the US, food | | | | hand sanitizer.)4. Label foods so people |
| poisoning can happen to anyone, | | | | know what they're eating.5. Tell people |
| according to MedlinePlus. That doesn't | | | | if food contains nuts or soy.6. Serve |
| mean much if you're the one who gets it. | | | | food in small batches, not all at |
| You may get food poisoning at home or | | | | once.7. Keep mayonnaise-based foods icy |
| while traveling. Each year 60-80 | | | | cold.8. Keep hot foods really hot.9. |
| million (that's MILLION) people around | | | | Don't leave food out for more than two |
| the globe get food poisoning.If you've | | | | hours.10. Provide clean storage |
| had food poisoning you know it's awful, | | | | containers for leftovers. Write the |
| so awful you thought you were going to | | | | food and date on all containers.11. |
| die. Some people do die. The FDA says | | | | Discard food that hasn't been |
| food poisoning is especially threatening | | | | refrigerated for more than four hours.AT |
| to kids five years old and younger, and | | | | A RESTAURANT1. Check to see if food |
| the elderly. E.coli can cause | | | | handlers are wearing plastic gloves.2. |
| hemolyptic uremic syndrome, which can | | | | Find out if the food handlers are |
| lead to kidney damage and, in some | | | | handling money. (Money is often |
| cases, death.The symptoms of food | | | | contaiminaed with human feces.)3. Is |
| poisoning are nasty: nausea, vomiting, | | | | there a cough shield over the food |
| diarrhea, fever, headaches, and | | | | table?4. Skip the salad bar if the |
| weakness. Food poisoning strikes within | | | | ingredients aren't on ice.5. Check to |
| two-to-four hours after eating | | | | see if the restaurant has a clean plate |
| contaminated food and it can last as | | | | policy for additional servings of |
| long as 10 days. Prevetion is the best | | | | salad.6. Don't eat salad dressing that's |
| defense against food poisoning.Mayo | | | | in open bowls on the table.7. Make sure |
| Clinic, in an Internet article called | | | | hot food is kept in warming pans, |
| "Serve it Up Safe: 8 Ways to Prevent | | | | kettles, and hot plates.8. Each dish |
| Food-Bourne Illness," lists some | | | | should have its own serving spoon or |
| prevention tips, such as washing linens | | | | fork.9. Servers should bring buffet |
| often and washing equipment, including | | | | foods out in small batches.10. Does the |
| your meat thermometer, in hot, soapy | | | | menu say all beef will be cooked to |
| water. To be in the safe side, the | | | | medium temperature?11. Hamburgers should |
| article says you should reheat leftovers | | | | be cooked until the internal temperature |
| to an internal temperature of 165 | | | | is 160 degrees.12. Write the food and |
| degrees.Practice safe food handling | | | | date on your doggie bag/box."Everyone is |
| during the holidays. Unsure about what | | | | at risk for foodbourne illness," |
| to do? The USDA Food and Safety | | | | according to the FDA's Food Safety |
| Inspection Service has published a | | | | Education Website. That makes food |
| colorful booklet called "Cooking for | | | | safety your business. Call the local |
| Groups." You'll find the booklet on | | | | public health department if you see |
| You'll find additional information on | | | | unsafe food practices. And follow the |
| And follow these tips to keep your tummy | | | | FDA's advice during the holidays: When |
| safe during the holidays.AT HOME1. Wash | | | | in doubt throw it out!Copyright 2005 by |
| your hands well before handling food.2. | | | | Harriet Hodgson. To learn more about |
| Use paper or cloth dishcloths, not | | | | her work go to Hodgson has been a |
| sponges.4. Separate raw foods from | | | | nonfiction writer for 27 years and is a |
| ready-to-eat foods.5. Store washed | | | | member of the Association of Health Care |
| produce in a different container, not | | | | Journalists. Before she became a health |
| the original.6. Keep cold foods at 40 | | | | writer she was a food writer for the |
| degrees or less.7. Keep hot foods at 140 | | | | former "Rochester Magazine," in her |
| degrees or more.8. Double-bag leaking | | | | hometown of Rochester, MN. Her 24th |
| meat and poultry packages or seal them | | | | book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: |
| in plastic wrap.9. Thaw meat and poultry | | | | Anticipating Grief," written with Lois |
| in the refrigerator, not on the | | | | Krahn, MD, is available from A |
| counter.10. NEVER eat frozen meat, | | | | five-star review of the book is also |
| poultry or fish that has been thawed and | | | | posted on Amazon. The book is packed |
| refrozen.11. Check internal temperature | | | | with Healing Steps - 114 in all - that |
| of meat and poultry with a | | | | lead readers to their own healing path. |