Extension ‘Call Team’ Standing by for Holiday Food-Safety Questions
For consumers throughout the state with questions about safe food handling and preparation, leftovers or even recipes and nutrition as the holidays approach, a University of Maine Cooperative Extension team is only a phone call away for research-based answers.
Hundreds of Maine residents have benefited from calling the Extension’s Nutrition, Food Safety and Food Preservation Call Team over the last few years, according to Extension statewide food-safety specialist Jason Bolton.
Six Extension food safety and nutrition specialists make up the call team, which can be reached by calling the nearest county Extension office or dialing a statewide toll-free number: 1-800-287-0274. Many consumer questions can be addressed online, where dozens of Extension publications address a multitude of topics, specialists in county offices also can answer most questions, Bolton says. If not, the call team is standing by. Consumers can expect to receive a callback within a few hours with answers.
Questions typically include queries ranging from frozen turkey thawing tips when time is short to handling leftovers safely to whether an older Extension recipe is still safe and valid. Bolton calls the latter a good question, since changing ingredient ratios in a recipe can make food unsafe to can. Canning procedures are updated every year when results from new food preservation research are available, he says.
Bolton recommends a food thermometer be included among essential kitchen utensils to be sure meat is cooked thoroughly. Poultry must be cooked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit as a rule.
“With large gatherings, it’s pretty important not to have everyone make a trip to the hospital,” he says, adding improper preparation can result in a variety of food-borne illnesses. “Once again, if in doubt, throw it out. If the turkey isn’t prepared properly, then the whole family can get sick.”
Kate Yerxa, the statewide Extension educator for nutrition and physical activity, says the call team also can address questions about nutrition and serving the recommended food categories from the new U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “My Plate” chart. Thanksgiving is typically a very healthy meal because of its heavy use of vegetables, and turkey is a lean protein food, she says.
The Cooperative Extension website has a complete list of county offices and contact information.
Contact: Jason Bolton, (207) 942-7346 / 1-800-287-0274