Food Safety for Holiday Entertaining

Nova Scotia's food safety experts are reminding those planning holiday parties and potlucks to use good food-safety practices when preparing, transporting and reheating foods.

"This is a perfect opportunity to remind people to use their food thermometers and use basic food-safety practices that will reduce the risks of foodborne illness," says Gary Moulton, food safety educator from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. "Good food-handling practices can easily be a part of holiday festivities."

It is safest to prepare meals for a potluck or buffet no more than one day before serving (or prepare and freeze). It is also important to store them properly overnight in the refrigerator.

While travelling, hot foods must be kept hot and cold foods kept cold. Hot foods can be placed in insulated coolers and hot packs to maintain 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit). Cold foods should be stored at 4 degrees C (40 degrees F) in a cooler containing ice or freezer packs.

"A dish that has been served once can be safely served again as along as common-sense practices are followed," said Mr. Moulton.

Perishable leftovers -- meats, fish, poultry, shellfish, dairy foods, cooked rice, pasta or vegetable dishes that normally require refrigeration -- should be discarded if left at room temperature for more than two hours. Otherwise, they can be cooled and refrigerated quickly to ensure that they can be safely reheated.

To reheat leftovers from the refrigerator, they must be heated to at least 74 degrees C (165 degrees F). Soups, sauces and gravies should be reheated to a rolling boil. Reheat only what you require and discard uneaten leftovers that have been reheated once.

"Once again, we want people to use their food thermometers to make sure their holiday turkeys are cooked to an internal temperature of 82 degrees Celsius," said Mr. Moulton.

For information about food safety and food handling tips, visit the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Web site at www.gov.ns.ca/nsaf or call 902-424-1137.