The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 22, 1993 - C7 Jennifer Fisher GeO I, arty EAS Be careful when you cook the bird Your turkey dinner was scrumptious. A succulent bird, cranberries, mashed potatoes... the works, Then why do you feel so rot- ten now? The cramps and diarrhea struck early this morn- ing and this illness is threaten- -ing to ruin your whole holiday. Most people would blame the flu, but Food poisoning is the ac- tual culprit. ; Salmonella isn’t exactly a household word, but it should be. Thousands of Canadians each year get food poisoning after eating food contaminated _ by this and other types of bac- teria. ; The heat of cooking usually kills Salmonella bacteria. How- ever, improper techniques of storage, preparation or cooking of poultry can put you and your family at risk, Although poultry frequently carries Salmonella, other foods such as meat, fish, egos and unpasteurized dairy pro- ducts can be a problem too. |. ~ A few easy steps in the kitch- en can help you and. your fam- ily have a safe holiday. Yon can’t tell by looldng: “1a It's not! possible to-tell-hy looking whether food has been _ “contaminated, so treat... all poultry and meat as though it. is, - . * When you bring poultry home from the refrigerate or freeze it immedi- ately, Fresh poultry should be - used within two or three days. * Frozen poultry can be safely ‘thawed in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the micro- ware. If you must thaw at room temperature, wrap the bird in a : heavy paper bag so the outside doesn’t become warm before theinsidethaws, si © Drippings, produced during thawing should be considered contaminated and affected sur- faces should be cleaned and dis- infected. ¢ Wash hands well before and after handling poultry. Avoid cross-contamination by keeping _ your utensils clean too, especial- ly your cutting board. Plastic cutting boards are best because they are easier to sanitize. Wash boards well with hot soapy water and a_ small amount of chlorine bleach, then rinse and dry. « Stuffing is a great place for bacteria to grow because it is dense, moist and tends to cool ‘slowly. If you must stuff a bird, _ do it just before roasting. Once the bird is done, remove the “stuffing right away. If you are cooking a large bird, roast the stuffing / Separately, If you buy pre- “\ "for preparation of meats and store, . Have a Very, Very Merry Christmas! If Santa is as good to you as you've been to us, you're in fot a wonderful holiday season! Thank you, friends. (TERRACE EQUIPMENT 3 SALES LTD. ! ry WT Hope your Christmas is picture perfect! ‘stuffed turkeys carefully follow all the manufacturers direc- tions. * Can you refreeze defrosted meat? You can if the meat is still cold and ice crystals are still present, or if the meat has been thawed recently in the refrigerator. Hot and Cold In order to keep your holiday food safe, Health and Welfare Canada recommends that -you follow these simple steps: ‘Refrigeration bacteria flourish at room temperature so don’t leave meat or other foods that should be refrigerated sit- ting on the kitchen counter. Take unfrozen raw meat out of the refrigerator just before you “handle and cook it. Cleanliness — wash hands be- fore and after handling all types of meat and poultry. | * Thoroughly wash dishes, cutting boards, counters and utensils with hot soapy water | and bleach after they are used ¢ From the Management & Staff of: COAST TRACTOR Keith Avenue 635-7131 ‘HOLIDAY “ GREETINGS! We're happy to have this-opportunity to express our gratitude and offer our very best wishes to ail of you.at this joyous time of year. Thanks! ’ poultry, hefare they are used pean. , m . From all of Cook thoroughly — never: eat ° 2 us.to all of, raw. meator poultry. ott Ve ou 7 cok proontd meats, poultry |. me eee a yc "Fk A q and_ralled roasts. through to the’, centre, Be certain juices are no longer pink. es ¢ make sure that cooked foods do not touch uncooked foods, = use a meat thermometer to make sure the poultry is com- pletely cooked. _ Keep it hot — cooked foods should be eaten while hot be- cause foods left to cool at room temperature may allow the Before the season melts away, we'd like to say ~ thanks for thinking of us. Merry Christmas. rapid growth of bacteria. — rategeraietetvertooasies | TERRACE INTERIORS Make safety a ; household | 4610 Lazelle 635-6600 word, PWeetuxne Grading With. AUTOMOTIVE & log INDUSTRIAL SN SUPPLY ‘hen Christmas.approaches, we turn our thoughts to you, our dear friend ‘patrons: We send. you our heartfelt blessings and our hopes for renewe among: all of nature's creations throughout tl d? Thank you for:yc -.-ever-loyal:support and friendship, BORD ge ey oS ee 7a Peo a NORTHERN - MOTOR ee “== The Munson Family and Staff te est fies