USDA Talks Christmas Food Safety

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food89372987329872398

With Christmas and New Year’s here, food safety experts are reminding everyone how to avoid illness when they’re partying. USDA Food Safety Specialist Archie Magoulas tells WSJM News making sure foods stay at their intended temperature is the most important thing.

“We say you should keep hot foods hot, at 140 degrees or above, and keeping cold foods cold, at 40 or below,” Magoulas said. “Between 40 and 140, that’s what we call the danger zone.”

If you’ve got sausage and cheese trays sitting around, Magoulas says it’ll probably be OK for a few hours. The exception is soft cheese, which he recommends keeping chilled. How about that Christmas ham you’ll be munching on for several days after?

“In general, a whole ham [ is good ] for seven days in the refrigerator, and ahalf a ham or let’s say a spiral ham, you should use within three to five days,” Magoulas said.

Magoulas says a food thermometer is always recommended when cooking. Check out FoodSafety.gov or get the FoodKeeper app for more info. The USDA hotline is 1-888-674-6854.