Department of Health, Department of Health Facilities, and Department of Human Services

​The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Public Health (BPH) is reminding residents of the importance of proper food preparation and food storage temperatures during the holiday season.   

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), foodborne illness is a common, preventable public health problem. Each year, one in six Americans gets sick from contaminated foods or beverages. Foodborne illnesses commonly occur due to unclean hands, not separating raw meat from other foods, not cooking foods to the correct temperature and not refrigerating food properly.

“Foodborne illness sends more than 100,000 people in our nation to the hospital each year,” said Dr. Rahul Gupta, State Health Officer and Commissioner for DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health.  “Taking the time to ensure that proper food handling measures are taken around the holidays and throughout the year can go a long way in preventing an outbreak of illness such as norovirus, salmonella or E. coli.” 

BPH offers the following tips for preventing foodborne illnesses:
• Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (62.8°C) as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming.
• Cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal to an internal temperature of 155°F (68°C) as measured with a food thermometer.
• Cook all poultry and stuffed meats, poultry, fish and pasta to an internal temperature of 165°F (73.9°C) as measured with a food thermometer.
• Foods should not be thawed at room temperature. Safe thawing methods include in the refrigerator, under cool running water, or in the microwave.  If food is thawed in running water or the microwave, it should be cooked immediately.  It is also important to allow sufficient time to thaw food.
• Check the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer with an appliance thermometer. The refrigerator should be at 40°F (4.4°C) or below and the freezer at 0°F (-17.7°C) or below.

“Always wash hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling food,” said Gupta. “Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices away from other food to avoid cross-contamination. After cutting raw meats, wash cutting boards, utensils, and countertops with hot, soapy water.”
According to Dr. Gupta, it is important to discard any food left out at room temperature for more than two hours.  Place food into shallow containers and immediately put in the refrigerator or freezer for rapid cooling.   Make sure you use cooked leftovers within four days.   More information about food safety and disease is available at www.dide.wv.gov and www.wvdhhr.org/phs.