Food Safety Tips for Turkey Day in Grand Junction

Ah, Thanksgiving! It's almost here. Turkey, dressing, grandma's mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie!

The family is coming over and they are coming hungry. The one thing you don't want to share is some of these illnesses that are going around Grand Junction including the norovirus that has kept so many kids away from school this month.

One of the best suggestions may be to just find out if anyone has had any symptoms within the last 48 hours. If they have, it's probably a good idea not to participate in any of the food preparation for your Thanksgiving. This can be a challenge for sure. We all have that one relative who insists on helping prepare the meal. If you want to avoid spreading any germs make sure that only folks who have been healthy are preparing food on Thanksgiving. This also includes anyone who may be handling silverware, cups, and plates with their bare hands. Yikes.

In a perfect world, people who have been sick are going to decline to come over for dinner anyway. Better safe than sorry, right?

Another tip is to make sure raw turkey is coming in contact with your veggies and cooked food. Some people like to wash their turkey before preparing this. The folks over at Mesa County Public Health told KJCT8.com that this makes very little difference because cooking the turkey thoroughly is the only way to get rid of any germs or bacteria.

Lastly, remember to protect those leftovers! Get them wrapped up and back in the fridge within a couple of hours of serving. That is if you even have leftovers!