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Millions of people celebrate Easter and Passover each year, and food is usually part of many
family traditions. Don't let food poisoning ruin your holiday. Use these tips from the U.
S. Department of Agriculture.
Fight Bac
"As Easter and Passover are observed with family meals, they should be remembered for their religious significance, rather than food poisoning," said Bessie Berry, Manager of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's nationwide toll-free Meat and Poultry Hotline. "So we are urging folks to fight foodborne bacteria through a major food safety education program, 'Fight BAC.'TM "
Berry explained that the "Fight BAC"TM campaign is a joint public and private partnership effort to help reduce the incidence of foodborne illness by educating the public about safe food handling practices. The four cornerstones of the campaign involve these four key food safety rules:
Wash hands and food surfaces often,
Avoid cross-contamination (spreading bacteria from raw to cooked foods),
Cook foods to proper temperatures using a meat thermometer to be sure, and
Refrigerate perishable foods promptly (never leave out over two hours).
Ham
Fully cooked ready-to-eat hams may be heated to 140 degrees F at an oven temperature of 325 degrees F before serving. It also may be served cold. Fresh (raw) hams should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
Lamb and beef
Lamb and beef roasts should be cooked to at least 145 degrees F, in an oven set no lower than 325 degrees F. Ground meats, on the other hand, should cook to 160 degrees F; steaks and chops to 145 degrees F.
Eggs
Eggs should be cooked thoroughly. "Since hard-cooked eggs are a favorite for Easter and the Passover Seder plate, special care should be taken," Berry advised. "Hard-cooked eggs should not be kept out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours, so they should be hidden just before an Easter egg hunt, or just before the Passover Seder plate is ready to be set on the table."
The passover seder
Berry noted that serving the traditional Passover meal on the first night presents some food safety challenges as the entire meal must be prepared ahead so that everyone can participate in the Seder ceremony.
"Cold food can be arranged on platters ahead of time and served directly from the refrigerator," Berry explained. "The brisket, for example, can be thoroughly cooked ahead, sliced and refrigerated in a shallow pan, and then thoroughly reheated to 165 degrees F just before serving."
Handling leftovers
Berry cautioned that all perishable foods should not stand at room temperature for more than 2 hours. "Place leftovers in shallow containers, use within 3-4 days, or freeze. Thoroughly reheat leftovers to 165 degrees F."
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U.S. Department of Agriculture
Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats (A 30-Minute Meal Cookbook)
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This article is provided by the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
For more information, call the USDA toll-free Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555, Monday-Friday from 10 am to 4 pm, Eastern time, year-round. An extensive selection of timely food safety recordings are also available 24 hours a day using a touch-tone telephone.
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