Thanksgiving is a lovely time of year, one spent with loved ones eating copious amounts of delicious food. The tradition is distinctly American, and once the focus is on the feast, you want to keep the celebration going. However, the festive holiday is not without its dangers, and people must be mindful to avoid food poisoning on Thanksgiving. 

Thanksgiving Day is chaotic at the best of times, and with so many cooks in the kitchen, it can be easy for something to get missed, especially if any of those cooks is not accustomed to extensive food prep. No one wants to get sick, especially not the midst of holiday fun, and no host wants their guests to walk away ill either. Prevent stomach or intestinal pain with these suggestions.

Preventing Food Poisoning on Thanksgiving

In America, more food is consumed on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year. Estimates suggest that 46 million turkeys alone see in the inside of an oven. That doesn’t include the canned cranberry sauce, the cream pies, or the steamed vegetables. With projections from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that one in six Americans will contract a foodborne illness of some variety each year, it is no wonder that they recommend a four-step process to avoiding food poisoning on Thanksgiving: clean, separate, cook, and chill.

Clean

Most holiday homes can expect to be filled with lots of food and lots of people on turkey day, so cleanliness cannot be stressed enough. All countertops and appliances should be thoroughly wiped down and cleaned before food preparation begins. Anyone handling food should wash their hands for at least 20 seconds before they begin.

Separate

Raw meat and raw produce carry different kinds of bacteria, and while meat is generally cooked extensively (and any bacteria incinerated), produce is often eaten raw. If these two kinds of foods come into contact, the risk of spreading bacteria and contracting food poisoning on Thanksgiving increases dramatically.

Keep raw meat away from all other foods, especially that which is already prepared or ready to be eaten. If you rinse your meats before cooking them, make sure the runoff does not come into contact with any utensils or surfaces you will use again without cleaning them.

Thaw

Here we interject another suggestion in addition to the CDC’s plan. It is important to plan ahead and thaw meat properly. Defrosting a turkey or other large section of meat takes longer than you may think, as much as 24 hours of fridge thawing for every 5 pounds of turkey. It is best to defrost a turkey in the refrigerator and not on the counter at room temperature. If you forget and are really short on time, rather than leaving a turkey on the counter, place the wrapped bird into a cold water bath, constantly cycling out the water. This method takes about 30 minutes per pound.

Cook

In addition to being unappealing, raw meat is dangerous and a common cause of food poisoning on Thanksgiving. The CDC estimates over 160 cases of salmonella linked to raw turkey this year. To ensure salmonella and other potentially infectious bacteria are killed, use a food thermometer to confirm the internal temperature is 165 degrees. We recommend a real meat thermometer instead of the plastic tab inserted into the turkey. A meat thermometer will give a more accurate reading and is less likely to give a false positive on interior temperature.

Chill

Do not leave leftovers sitting out (especially dairy-based desserts or meat products). All leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours after serving, and preferably sooner. If you must keep them out, keep food served cold on ice and food served warm in an oven on the lowest heat. No matter what the thermometer says, storing food outside is unwise. 

The cold does not kill bacteria, merely slows its germination, so as tempting as it is to prolong Thanksgiving as long as possible, leftovers do not stay good forever even in the fridge or freezer. Dispose of leftovers three to four days after they were cooked.

If Food Poisoning Does Arise

If you experience flu- or cold-like symptoms after the feast, it may be indicative of food poisoning on Thanksgiving. Over-consumption may be responsible for an unhappy tummy after a Thanksgiving feast, but there are other symptoms that, if also present, should lead feasters to consider professional care. Most cases of food poisoning clear up after 24 hours. If not, you should certainly see a doctor if they have not vanished after three days.