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Thanksgiving: Risks and tips

Prevention Tips

  • Clean. Chill. Separate. Cook.

    • Clean: Wash hands and counter tops before preparing food. Always use clean utensils

    • Chill: Store food at proper temperatures. Refrigerate leftovers promptly. Keep perishables in the refrigerator at 40 °F or less.

    • Separate: Avoid cross-contamination of foods with bacteria from raw meat, poultry, seafood or their juices. Wash hands, cutting boards, utensils and dishes with hot soapy water if they have been in contract with raw meat, poultry or seafood.

    • Cook: Use a quick-response thermometer to make sure foods are thoroughly cooked or reheated.

  • Discard perishable foods left out more than two hours.

  • Decorate with nonpoisonous plants and place poisonous plants well out of children’s reach.

  • Use child-resistant packaging, especially if young children are ever around. Replace caps securely. Of children treated in an ER for medicine poisoning, 38% got into a grandparent’s medicine. More grandparents identified electrical outlets than medicine as a top safety issue, but 36 times more children go to the ER for medicine poisoning!

  • Assign someone to keep an eye on each child during parties, dinners, and get-togethers.

  • Have children or grandchildren? Check out the poison prevention tips for the relevant ages

  • Mind the medicines when you travel or have visitors in your home. Provide visitors with a safe place to put their medicines, purses, and suitcases. When traveling, be sure your own medicines are kept away from children.