Seeking food safety information about that turkey? Call the hotline!

With Thanksgiving nearly upon us, I want to share the food and nutrition resources provided by our partners in the federal government, such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Within these resources, you’ll find food and nutrition resources, such as Thanksgiving infographics, recipes, food fact sheets, food labeling resources, and important food safety information. All of these resources are organized into an online guide, which was created by Kay Deeney in our Pacific Southwest Region. One of the tools I’ve found most uprising is the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline – which anyone may call toll-free at 1-888-MPHotline! This hotline has been around for over 30 years, and their operators answer food safety questions through nearly 80,000 calls annually. One of the operators there shared with me her favorite Thanksgiving week story, which involved a caller who left her turkey on the back porch to thaw. While it was out there, a raccoon came and ate half of it! The caller wanted to know if the turkey was still good to cook and serve to guests, if she cut off the part that was eaten from. The answer? You could probably guess… was no. If you’re interested in learning more about these resources, consider registering for our next Food for Thought course, which will be offered online this spring.
Source: The Cornflower - Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Tags: Consumer Health Training Source Type: news