As the shopping and gift wrapping finishes up, some of us—mainly us moms—also have to focus on the Christmas dinner. Thus, as a soft blanket of new fallen snow covers the yard and the cooking begins—wait a minute—snow?—Oh, that’s right, we’re in Southern California. So, as the temperatures are pushing the 70’s, let the cooking begin.

Not to be grim at this joyous time of year, but there are some important things to keep in mind as they relate to that big Christmas dinner. One reason the risks for contracting foodborne illnesses during the holidays goes up is the socializing after the meal.

With tempting leftovers still on the kitchen counter, the talking continues. After a while, Uncle Bob wanders back into the kitchen and bags a mouthwatering morsel. The longer those delicious leftovers sit out on the counter, the greater the risk.

According to Jane Reick, Chief Food safety Inspection Unit, California Department of Public Health, CDPH, “The environment at room temperature, with our perishable foods, provides an environment that is suitable for the growth of both pathogenic, which is disease causing, and spoilage organisms.”

The best thing to do is put the perishable foods into small containers and put them in the refrigerator right after the meal. Small containers are recommended because they allow the food to cool more quickly. The goal is to cool the food down as quickly as possible in order to inhibit the growth of potentially harmful organisms.

When it comes to preparing the feast, be sure to thaw frozen meat, poultry and seafood inside the refrigerator in the original wrapping. Thawing a moderate-sized turkey in this manner may take two to four days. If time does not permit a gradual thaw, place the frozen turkey in a watertight wrapper and immerse in cold – not hot or warm – water until the meat is pliable. Change the water every half hour. Turkey may also be defrosted in the microwave, but must be cooked immediately after microwave thawing.

Once the meat is thawed, before cooking, rinse poultry and seafood thoroughly in cold water and drain well. The next step will help ensure the meat is cooked well enough to kill any nasty freeloading pathogens. This means using a meat thermometer—the best types are the ones with the long temperature probe. Place it deep into the center of the meat, but not against bone.

CDPH offers the following cooking temperature recommendations:

• Ground beef, veal and lamb should be cooked to at least 160 Fahrenheit.
• Beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts and chops should be cooked to at least 145 Fahrenheit.
• Turkey, other poultry or ground poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 Fahrenheit.
• Pork should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 160 Fahrenheit.
• Stuffed meat, poultry and fish and any food stuffed with fish, meat or poultry should be heated to a minimum internal temperature of 165 Fahrenheit.
• Eggs and foods containing raw eggs should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145 Fahrenheit.
• When leftovers are eaten hot, they should be heated to at least 165 Fahrenheit or until hot and steaming throughout.

Remember, the internal temperature, not the cooking time, is the most important. Cooking times in microwaves may vary. Cooking whole, stuffed poultry in a microwave is not recommended. Foods cooked or reheated in microwaves should be stirred or turned occasionally to ensure that all parts of the food are thoroughly cooked.

But, what if these temperatures are higher than your recipe calls for, or are too well done for your taste? According to Reick, you are taking a risk. “That’s the best health information we can give people--is to cook your meat to these temperatures. But, some people still like to eat their hamburgers rare and the best thing to say there is, if you’re doing that, recognize you are potentially taking a risk, and if you are a person that is immuno-compromised in anyway, you’re probably taking a bigger risk.

There are plenty of potential Christmas dinner guest who might have immune systems which could be a bit compromised. According to CDPH these include the very young, the elderly, and people who have systemic illness—HIV-AIDS and cancer. Pregnant women are also considered to be an at risk population.

"Thorough cooking, adequate refrigeration, good hand washing and work area hygiene are the key food handling practices that can prevent foodborne illness," said Dr. Mark Horton, director of CDPH. "Properly prepared and handled foods will help ensure a safe meal not only during the holiday season, but every day of the year.”

Once the delicious and safe meal is over, what about all those leftovers? If you are not likely to eat the leftover meat in the next few days, wrap it up properly and put it in the freezer. CDPH says “If properly wrapped, leftover meat may be safely consumed after being frozen for one to three months.”

If you don’t freeze it right away, be sure to put it in the refrigerator ASAP. As for the gravy and stuffing, you only have two days to eat it. The refrigerated meat is good for 4 days. CDPH says “Do not eat leftover meat that has been refrigerated for longer than four days or leftover stuffing or gravy refrigerated for longer than two days.”

What is the problem with the gravy? According to Reick, “Gravy can contain bacteria that can form spores, and bacteria that can form spores are more resistant to heat than other types of bacteria.” This makes proper handling and refrigeration even more important because the “bacteria can move from their spores stage, which is their dormant stage, to a vegetative stage” and this is not good. Once this happens, the bacteria can grow quickly and thus, cause illness.

Have a wonderful and safe meal and a Merry Christmas.