Share holiday meals with relatives, friends, and neighbors, but don’t invite foodborne illnesses to the table. That’s why your West Central Florida County Health Departments serving Citrus, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota counties want to ensure your holiday feast is one to remember for all the right reasons.

Foodborne illnesses can cause severe symptoms and lead to hospitalizations or, in extreme cases, even prove fatal. Each year, about 3,000 Americans die due to improperly prepared or stored food. Symptoms may happen within minutes and may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or fever.

Babies, children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with compromised immune systems are at greater risk for these illnesses, but anyone who eats improperly handled food is potentially vulnerable.

The Florida Department of Health urges everyone to practice food safety as part of its public health mission, and the message is timely now as planning for holiday meals in November and December takes place. Microorganisms can cause diseases that ruin holiday gatherings; safe cooking and storage practices can prevent them.

Use these tips to keep your holidays happy and healthy for all:

• Wash hands, utensils, and surfaces frequently, especially after handling raw foods.
• Don’t thaw the holiday bird on the counter. Use the refrigerator or under cold running water to ensure that the turkey is completely thawed before cooking.
• Establish separate handling areas in the kitchen for cooked and raw foods to ensure they don’t come into contact, which would allow for cross contamination.
• Cook foods to proper internal temperatures. A food thermometer is a smart investment and an essential piece of kitchen equipment.
• The dirty dishes can wait, but the leftovers can’t. Refrigerate or freeze all perishables within two hours, even if you want to allow people to continue snacking.

Call the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-888-MPHotline (888-674- 6854) for more information about safe practices. USDA has more information on foodborne illnesses on its website here, Have A Food-Safe Holiday Season | USDA. For more information, please call your local Florida Department of Health office:

DOH-Citrus (352) 527-0068

DOH-Manatee (941) 748-0747

DOH-Hardee (863) 773-4161

DOH-Pasco (727) 619-0300

DOH-Hernando (352) 540-6800

DOH-Pinellas (727) 824-6900

DOH-Highlands (863) 386-6040

DOH-Polk (863) 519-7900

DOH-Hillsborough (813) 307-8000

DOH-Sarasota (941) 861-2900

Here’s hoping for a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season from your West Central Florida Department of Health offices.

About the Florida Department of Health, The Department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @HealthyFla. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.