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Lifestyle - Food safety tips for your healthy holiday

E-HEALTH Info

Food safety tips for your healthy holiday

Dec. 17, 2007

SHANNON M. DAVIES
Communications

Opportunities for generosity are abundant during holiday celebrations. This season, ensure germs and bugs aren’t on of your list of gifts to share - a few quick health & safety tips for you and yours:

  1. Hand washing is your ally: Wash your hands with soap and warm water often, including when you come home, before preparing food or eating (including at restaurants or special events), and after blowing your nose, touching pets, using the toilet or changing diapers.
  2. Don’t forget to wash food: All food should be carefully washed, especially when prepared to eat raw. Hard to clean items like wrinkled lettuce leaves should be individually washed, with attention paid to each crevice.
  3. Cut larger food items into smaller portion sizes: This ensures guest only handle their own serving – not the entire plate. A great example: bunches of grapes can be cut into small clusters of 2 or 3 grapes for serving.
  4. Two hour maximum! Food should NOT sit out for more than two hours. If you’re expecting guests over a longer period of time, offer small amounts of food on the buffet, adding more from the fridge or oven only as needed.
  5. Keep food safe: Food should be kept at below 4°C (40°F) or above 60°C (140°F). Cover food whenever and as often as possible.
  6. Have extra serving utensils: You can never offer too many tongs, forks and spoons – whether dropped on the floor, dipped in another dish, or sneezed upon, utensils should be clean at all times. Include serving spoons when offering bowls of nuts or unwrapped candies.
  7. If you’re sick, stay home: Have another person make the food for your child’s class, for family events, or to share with co-workers. You may even consider buying individually portioned and wrapped food to reduce the risk of spreading germs.

For more information visit: Environmental Health, Calgary Health Region, or call the Region’s Environmental Health Program at (403) 943-8060.
 

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