With Thanksgiving just two days away, I’m sure many of us can already smell the turkey and taste the stuffing and potatoes. While I’m sure everyone is prepared to make a delicious feast and has all of their spices and garnishes ready, there is one thing that you shouldn’t overlook this holiday…….salmonella. Needless to say, a case of salmonella poisoning can destroy an otherwise perfect Thanksgiving. Luckily, our friends at The Clean Team, have some tips on how to avoid a salmonella outbreak this holiday. So, read up, and have a safe and happy holiday. Happy Thanksgiving! Gobble Gobble!

Don’t Serve Up Salmonella This Holiday Season

You may feel confident when cooking up that bird and seasoning those veggies, but do you know how to avoid serving up deadly dose of kitchen bacteria like salmonella? According to the Center For Disease Control, over 40,000 people each year get salmonella poisoning. However, with these simple steps, salmonella can be avoided.

1. When you set raw meat on counter tops, you create a harbinger of bacteria. Wipe up meat juices with a paper towel, spray the counter with an anti-bacterial cleaner (mix  your own solution of 1 part bleach, 10 parts water for example), and wipe clean with another paper towel. Don’t use a dish cloth for this job; it’s not worth risking someone washing the dishes or the table with this contaminated cloth.
2. Use two cutting boards when cutting up meat and veggies – one for the meat, a different one for the veggies – washing cutting boards carefully with hot soapy water between uses. Never cut raw vegetables on the meat cutting board.
3. Avoid cleaning up raw meat juices with a sponge since germs get trapped in the sponge, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. And if you do get raw meat juices in your sponge, rinse in hot soapy water, then microwave the sponge for one minute. Be careful when removing; let it cool to the touch first.
4. After handling raw meat, be sure and wash your hands vigorously with warm soapy water for at least one minute. And be careful to clean up under those long acrylic fingernails, as they can be completely missed during hand washing.
5. Wash all utensils that touch raw meat, like platters or plates, with hot soapy water before placing the cooked meat back on.
6. Store raw meat on the lower shelf of the fridge, and raw vegetables on the higher shelves, to protect against mean drips or spills contaminating those raw veggies.

Serve up a safe, healthy meal during the holidays with just a little attention to proper clean up and food handling.