FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 21, 2006
When visiting, bring your presence, not infections
COLUMBIA – Visitors to the elderly and ill are advised to take steps to reduce the risk of infection, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control announced today.
“Anyone in a health care setting such as a nursing home or hospital is more likely to be at risk of infection,” said Lena Bretous, M.D., of DHEC’s Bureau of Disease Control. “The best advice to protect visited loved ones against the spread of disease is to wash your hands before coming into contact them and to stay away if you are sick.”
The beginning of the cold and flu season often coincides with the holidays. During this time of year the best ways to prevent illness can be quite simple:
- Get a flu shot if you have not already gotten one this year. It is the best way to reduce your risk and it is not too late to get one. Visit: http://www.scdhec.gov/flu/.
- Wash your hands frequently and well. Use soap and water and a clean, disposable cloth, if possible, for drying your hands.
- Use a tissue, not a handkerchief, to cover your sneeze or cough. If none is available, coughing into your sleeve is preferable than coughing into your hand, which can pass infectious agents to surfaces that others might touch.
- Stay home when you are ill.
“Foodborne illness is another risk during the holiday season that can be avoided,” said Sandra Craig, director of DHEC’s Division of Food Protection. “Anyone who has had symptoms of nausea, vomiting or diarrhea within a 24-hour period should not take part in food preparation or handling.”
DHEC also offers the following tips for preparing traditional holiday food:
- If the turkey is frozen, allow approximately three days for thawing in the refrigerator; never thaw at room temperature.
- Cook meat to desired doneness without interrupting the cooking process. Turkeys should be cooked internally to 170°F. to 180°F. Higher temperatures may make the product dry, and temperatures below 165°F. will not guarantee the destruction of bacteria. (Probe thermometers can be purchased at many retail outlets.)
- APPROXIMATE UNSTUFFED TURKEY COOKING TIMES (OVEN TEMPERATURE OF 325°F.):
8 -12 lbs 3 to 3 1/2 hours
12 -14 lbs 3 1/2 to 4 hours
14 -18 lbs 4 to 4 1/2 hours
18 -20 lbs 4 1/2 to 5 hours
- APPROXIMATE UNSTUFFED TURKEY COOKING TIMES (OVEN TEMPERATURE OF 325°F.):
- For best carving results, allow the turkey to stand for 15 to 20 minutes after cooking.
- A stuffed turkey is riskier and more difficult to cook than one not stuffed. It is recommended that stuffing (dressing) be cooked separately from the turkey.
- Gravy with giblets and eggs should be cooked to 165°F.
- Cooked rice and pumpkin pies can support bacteria growth and should be refrigerated after the meal.
- Temperature abuse is a major cause of foodborne illness. Refrigerate foods at 45°F. or below or keep it hot at 130°F. or above after reaching the proper cooking temperatures. Leaving food at room temperature for after dinner snacks is not a safe practice.
- Leftovers are best handled by getting food into shallow containers and into the refrigerator quickly in containers no more than 4 inches deep and refrigerated within two hours of the meal. Leftovers should be used within three days of being refrigerated or frozen. Leftover frozen food has best quality if eaten within 30 days. Refrigerated leftovers that are intended to be eaten hot should be reheated rapidly to 165°F.
- Clean hands and clean utensils are essential. A perfectly cooked turkey that is carved on an unclean cutting board or counter top can negate all the safety precautions taken earlier.
More information is available by visiting DHEC’s Food Protection Web site at: http://www.scdhec.gov/health/envhlth/food_protection/regs_pubs.htm
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For more information:
Clair Boatwright – (803) 898-4461
E-mail – boatwrc@dhec.sc.gov