By Neil Doyle
BLOOMINGTON – The holidays are around the corner and that means home kitchens will be busy to prepare holiday meals.
The McLean County Health Department reminds home cooks to wash hands and kitchen surfaces frequently to avoid bacteria according to communications specialist Lisa Slater.
“Wash your hands often, use soap and water, wash for at least 20 seconds and use disposable paper towels to dry hands as it decreases the risk of contamination,” said Slater.
Slater told WJBC’s Scott Miller that keeping meat and produce products separated begins at the grocery store when they are placed into the shopping cart. Once at home keep certain items separated in the refrigerator and use different cutting boards to prevent cross-contamination.
Other tips include use a cooking thermometer and make sure different types of meat are cooked to the correct internal temperature.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that millions of people suffer from foodborne illness each year, which results in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.
More food safety tips can be found at health.mcleancountyil.gov.
Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]
