Holiday Food Safety and Donations
You may know that each week since the start of the pandemic we have convened a weekly virtual meeting of local partners to check in, solve problems and share updates and resource information. We got some great holiday food information from the staff at K-State Research and Extension this week and wanted to share it. Research and Extension in Shawnee County is also the local provider for the VITA tax assistance program that helps low-income filers save money on preparation fees and maximize their deductions, keeping more money in their pockets and in our community.
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/usda-meat-and-poultry-hotline
In more than 35 years of operation the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline has answered over 2 million calls as part of USDA's consumer food safety education efforts. Often the first question callers ask is, "Are you a real person?" The Hotline is one of the rare services where a live person answers callers individually specific questions one-on-one.
In the more than 35 years of operation, callers have asked the Hotline increasingly more sophisticated questions. Now they frequently know the names of bacteria many people had never heard of 10 or 20 years ago.
From novice cooks wondering how long to safely roast a chicken to more experienced food handlers asking about additives, residues, and foodborne bacteria, Hotline food safety specialists have heard it all—2 million times over.
Beginning in 2002, the toll-free Hotline extended its service to callers whose first language is Spanish. By touching the appropriate number at the prompt, callers will be connected to a Spanish-speaking food safety specialist who can answer their questions. Callers may also listen to more than 50 food safety messages recorded in Spanish, 24 hours a day.
The Hotline is open on Thanksgiving Day from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p. m., Eastern Time, but closed on other Federal government holidays.
https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/holiday-turkey.html
Use this resource from the Centers for Disease Control to answer all your turkey-specific questions, from thawing to leftovers.
https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF3352.pdf
Donating Safe and Nutritious Food to Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens, Fact Sheet
Can you donate expired food? What about damaged packages? Can you donate the tomatoes you canned last summer? Get all the dos and don'ts for helping your local food pantry or food bank make the most of your donations with this comprehensive guide. (And the answer to all three of those questions is no--click that link to find out why.)
https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF3204.pdf
What do those expiration dates on your food really mean, and do we throw away too much food that is actually safe to eat? Find out the difference between "Sell by," "Best if used by," and "Use by" dates and how your storage choices affect your food safety.
Find even more great resources on the extension website: https://www.shawnee.k-state.edu/health-home-safety/