MANISTEE COUNTY — With the holidays upon us — and a lot of food—District Health Department #10 “wants to share some simple techniques to keep your favorite dishes from turning on you.”

• Practice safe shopping. While in the store, it is important to inspect meat, poultry, and fish to be sure packaging is not damaged or torn and that canned goods are free of dents, bulges and leaks. 

• Keep it clean. DHD #10 recommends that people keep their hands, utensils and surfaces that encounter food clean. Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food, especially after touching meat, poultry, eggs or seafood, to remove harmful bacteria. 

• Separate, don’t cross-contaminate. In order to prevent bacteria from crossing from one food to another, always keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood (and their juices) and eggs separate from ready-to-eat foods. 

• Stay away from the “danger zone.” Make sure to follow the two-hour rule: refrigerate or freeze perishable foods and leftovers within two hours and discard any cooked or perishable foods left at room temperature for longer than two hours. 

• Handle leftovers with care. It is important to be sure to divide cooked leftovers into shallow containers (e.g., slice roasts or divide casseroles into smaller portions), label packages with the current date, and put them in the refrigerator or freezer within two hours of cooking to promote rapid, even cooling, the release said.  

More information on food safety can be found at cdc.gov/foodsafety.

For more information on handwashing, visit cdc.gov/handwashing/.

Source: https://www.sfgate.com/local-news/article/DHD-10-offers-guidance-for-a-healthy-holidays-16724917.php