Don’t let raw foods spoil your holiday season

I was chatting on the phone with a friend who seemed to be in quite a state.

Nothing was going her way, and the only thing that could bring her comfort, she said, was to make cookies. I know what that really means. She will not bake a single cookie but will soothe herself with the raw dough. Now she may turn on the oven in an act of denial but its main function, at that point, will simply be to warm her kitchen.

A large bowl, a spoon and a good movie on cable are all that’s necessary for her world to be right again.

I have often been concerned about this behavior because it seems to me that she is playing roulette with food poisoning. There are, after all, raw eggs in the dough. And because the holidays are almost here, complete with culinary treats like festive cookies and eggnog, consuming raw eggs may become more common.

“A lot of people eat cookie dough and love traditional homemade eggnog, but it poses a risk,” said Gail Ward, director of nutrition at the Eastern Agency on Aging. “Raw eggs can be dangerous, so it’s best not to eat dough or drink nonpasteurized eggnog. And the same goes for cider. That could also be hazardous if not pasteurized.”

Even if something is perfectly safe to consume, time has a way of ticking away on that safety.

“Two hours is the absolute maximum amount of time that something should be left out,” said Ward. “Especially the turkey. Serve it and put it in the refrigerator. When cooking the turkey, insert a meat thermometer into the inner thigh area near the breast. Don’t touch the bone. The turkey is done when it reaches 180 degrees. The stuffing should be 165 degrees.”

And speaking of stuffing, if your personal recipe calls for oysters, make sure they have been properly refrigerated or iced, especially if you are serving people with weakened immune systems or liver disorders, as they have an increased risk of becoming ill from improperly stored seafood.

Getting delicious treats in the mail is always exciting. If you plan to give mail-order food items for gifts, tell the recipient what it is and when it will come. It may ruin the surprise, but better that than risking spoilage. If it’s perishable, like cheese, meat, fruit or cheesecake, it should be quite cold when it arrives, be unpacked immediately and refrigerated.

Parties are another holiday treat, and if you’re like me, you scope out the food table first thing. Cheese is a wonderful food, but be careful of the soft ones, which are typically not processed, such as feta, brie, camembert and blue-veined. Before you pile one of these on a cracker, check to see if it is cold. If not, opt for the cheddar.

“Remember, if it’s not cold and not processed, don’t put it in your mouth,” said Vicki Billings, food service manager at EAA. “Once the cheese is on your plate, touch it. Your fingers can be a good guide on temperature.”

Most of all, have a great holiday season. And remember, chocolate is safe in all settings and temperatures.

Thanksgiving is a great time to eat turkey. It’s also a great time to talk turkey with older loved ones about the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit.

Some seniors may need help choosing a plan, as this process is challenging. If you’d like some assistance, call Eastern Agency on Aging. We’ll look at the available drug plans and narrow them down to the select few that would be most appropriate for the Medicare beneficiary’s individual situation.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging. For information on EAA, call 941-2865, e-mail info@eaaa.org or visit www.eaaa.org.