Holidays bring festive parties and large family meals. With so much food in the house, it’s important to practice food safety. LSU AgCenter nutritionist Beth Reames says harmful bacteria that may be present in food can double every 20 minutes. The more bacteria present, the greater the chance of foodborne illness.

A rule-of-thumb is keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. After a meal, refrigerate food quickly, because low temperatures keep most harmful bacteria from multiplying.

Reames suggests following these steps when you’re preparing your holiday feast:

Clean. Make hand washing a frequent activity. Everyone who will help prepare the meal needs to begin with clean hands. After touching raw meat or poultry, wash hands for 20 seconds in hot, soapy water.

Separate. Home food safety is just as important as the precautions manufacturers and retailers take before food reaches your home. Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods and foods that will not be cooked, such as salad fixings and bread, to avoid cross-contamination. Raw meat and poultry products may contain harmful bacteria, so it’s important that juices from raw meat and poultry don’t come into contact with food that will be eaten without cooking. Also, never place cooked food on an unwashed plate that previously held raw meat or poultry.

Cook. Using a food thermometer when you cook turkey will assure that you reach the safe internal temperature. The correct temperatures make your turkey and other meats taste better, because you won’t overcook them trying to make them safe.

Chill. To keep foodborne bacteria from growing, refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food and leftovers within two hours. Cut meats such as turkey into smaller pieces, slicing the breast and thigh meat. Wings and legs may be left whole. Place leftovers into shallow containers for storing in the refrigerator.

When you’re ready to eat them, reheat leftovers to a hot and steamy 165 degrees. Use leftover turkey and stuffing within three to four days, gravy within one to two days or freeze these foods.

Reames offers some helpful tips for keeping cold foods cold:

• Make sure the temperatures are 40 degrees F or lower in the refrigerator and 0 degrees F or lower in the freezer. Use a refrigerator/freezer thermometer to check the temperature.
• Don’t overfill the refrigerator. Cool air must circulate to help keep food safe.
• Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food and leftovers within two hours of purchase or preparation, or within one hour if the temperature is higher than 90 degrees F.
• Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator. For quick thawing, submerge it in cold water in airtight packaging or thaw in the microwave, and cook the food immediately.
• Divide large quantities of leftovers into shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.
• Marinate food in the refrigerator.
• When transporting food, place cold food in a cooler with a cold source such as ice or commercial freezing gels. Keep the cooler in the coolest part of your car, rather than in a hot trunk.

Myths about refrigeration and defrosting

Myth: Refrigeration stops bacterial growth. Fact: Not so. Refrigeration slows but does not prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Always remember to refrigerate food quickly.

Myth: You can safely thaw food on the kitchen counter at room temperature. Fact: Remember, bacteria grow rapidly at room temperature. Avoid keeping food in the danger zone - the unsafe temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees. To keep your food safe, always follow the thaw law: Never defrost food at room temperature.

About that turkey

If you shop ahead, you’ll probably purchase a frozen turkey. If you’re purchasing a turkey within one to two days of cooking it, you can safely purchase a fresh bird and keep it refrigerated. Frozen turkeys should be thawed before cooking. As with all raw and frozen meat and poultry products, turkeys must be kept at a safe temperature during thawing. Any harmful bacteria that may have been present before freezing can begin to grow again unless you use proper thawing methods.

The three safe ways to thaw a turkey include: in the refrigerator at 40 degrees or lower, in cold water and in the microwave. When thawing in the refrigerator, allow 24 hours of thawing time for every five pounds of turkey. When thawing in cold water, allow 30 minutes per pound, and change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. When thawing in the microwave, follow the oven manufacturer’s instructions and plan to cook the turkey immediately after thawing, because some areas of the turkey may become warm and begin to cook in the microwave.

A food thermometer is the only way to make sure that turkey has reached the correct temperature to destroy harmful bacteria. To make sure a whole turkey has reached a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees, use a food thermometer to check the innermost part of the thigh and wing and thickest part of the breast. For turkey breasts, check the thickest part of the breast. If using an oven cooking bag, follow the manufacturer's guidelines on the package.

For more information on safe handling and cooking, contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854 and the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service .