Keep your Kitchen Clean and Sanitized this Thanksgiving

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Pots and pans will be full of collard greens and gravy while a turkey cooks in the oven. With so many moving parts, it is key that the preparation and cooking areas get fully cleaned and sanitized to avoid the spread of bacteria that causes foodborne illness." /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2024-11/fsis-kitchen-clean-thanksgiving-blog-111924.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image:url" content="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2024-11/fsis-kitchen-clean-thanksgiving-blog-111924.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image:secure_url" content="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2024-11/fsis-kitchen-clean-thanksgiving-blog-111924.jpg" /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Thanksgiving is a time when friends and family gather to celebrate together, and the center of the action is the kitchen. Pots and pans will be full of collard greens and gravy while a turkey cooks in the oven. 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<li><a href="/media/blog/2021/01">January 2021</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div id="block-promoblockarchive" class="usda-block"> <h2>Archive</h2> <div><p><a href="/media/blog/archive">Blog Archives</a></p></div> </div> </div> </aside> <div class="usa-width-three-fourths usa-layout-docs-main_content"> <div id="block-usda-page-title" class="usda-block usda-page-title-block"> <h1 class="usda-page-title"><span>Keep your Kitchen Clean and Sanitized this Thanksgiving</span> </h1> </div> <div data-drupal-messages-fallback class="hidden"></div> <div id="block-usda-content" class="usda-block"> <article> <div> <div class="usda-blog-full-author"> Posted by Kenneth King, Public Affairs Specialist, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA in <a href="/media/blog/category/health-and-safety">Health and Safety</a> </div> <div class="usda-blog-full-date"> Nov 19, 2024 </div> <div data-embed-button="media_browser" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:media.embedded" data-entity-embed-display-settings="[]" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="fcf877c5-3541-4fce-b819-d3ce8f17418f" data-langcode="en" class="align-center embedded-entity"><div> <div> <img src="/sites/default/files/fsis-kitchen-clean-thanksgiving-blog-111924.jpg" width="1000" height="667" alt="A person cleaning a kitchen" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> </div> <p>Thanksgiving is a time when friends and family gather to celebrate together, and the center of the action is the kitchen. Pots and pans will be full of collard greens and gravy while a turkey cooks in the oven. With so many moving parts, it is key that the preparation and cooking areas get fully cleaned and sanitized to avoid the spread of bacteria that causes foodborne illness.</p> <p>Cross-contamination is the transfer of harmful bacteria from one food to other foods, cutting boards, and utensils. Turkeys are large and bulky, providing ample opportunities for bacteria from the raw turkey to spread:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Thawing</strong>: juices from the turkey can leak onto the shelves and other food items in the refrigerator or into the sink if thawing in cold water.</li> <li><strong>Unwrapping the turkey</strong>: juices can splatter or leak as you remove the packaging while also trying to steady the turkey.</li> <li><strong>Moving the turkey</strong>: moving the turkey from your unwrapping station to whatever preparation surface you’re using can allow juices to drip onto places like the countertop or floor.</li> </ul> <p>To properly clean and sanitize any areas that may have come into contact with raw turkey:</p> <ul> <li>Use warm, soapy water to wash utensils, cutting boards, and surfaces. Air dry or wipe clean with single-use paper towels.</li> <li>Then use a <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/washing-food-does-it-promote-food">homemade or commercial sanitizer or disinfectant</a> to fully kill the germs. Let the surfaces air dry.</li> </ul> <p>Throughout the entirety of turkey prep, pay attention to the areas you are touching, like spice containers, refrigerator and cabinet handles, utensils, countertops, and cell phones, and fully clean and sanitize those touch points.</p> <p>Keeping your kitchen cleaned and sanitized will reduce the risk of contracting foodborne illness so your turkey day won’t lead to a sick day.</p> <p>For more information about food safety, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854), email <a href="mailto:MPHotline@usda.gov">MPHotline@usda.gov</a>, or chat live at <a href="https://ask.usda.gov/s/">ask.usda.gov</a> from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday to reach a food safety specialist in English or Spanish. The Meat and Poultry Hotline is also open on Thanksgiving Day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern Time.</p> <div class="usda-blog-full-categories"> <span>Category/Topic:</span> <a class="usda-blog-full-category" aria-label="Blog posts in the Health and Safety category" href="/media/blog/category/health-and-safety">Health and Safety</a> </div> <div class="usda-blog-full-tags"> <span>Tags:</span> <a class="usda-blog-full-tag" aria-label="Blog posts tagged with Food Safety and Inspection Service" href="/media/blog/tag/food-safety-and-inspection-service">Food Safety and Inspection Service</a> <a class="usda-blog-full-tag" aria-label="Blog posts tagged with FSIS" href="/media/blog/tag/fsis">FSIS</a> <a class="usda-blog-full-tag" aria-label="Blog posts tagged with Thanksgiving" href="/media/blog/tag/thanksgiving">Thanksgiving</a> <a class="usda-blog-full-tag" aria-label="Blog posts tagged with Food Safety" href="/media/blog/tag/food-safety">Food Safety</a> <a class="usda-blog-full-tag" aria-label="Blog posts tagged with turkey" href="/media/blog/tag/turkey">turkey</a> <a class="usda-blog-full-tag" aria-label="Blog posts tagged with Meat and Poultry Hotline" href="/media/blog/tag/meat-and-poultry-hotline">Meat and Poultry Hotline</a> </div> <div class="views-element-container usda-block" id="block-views-block-blog-posts-blog-posts-you-may-like"> <h2>You May Also Like</h2> <div><div class="js-view-dom-id-df4bc1956e699a2e5a7a8bef40c31f4e7ecadd997e9d1ef62965c07ebf5ddd62"> <div class="item-list"> <ul> <li><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/media/blog/2024/11/21/taste-test-your-thanksgiving-treats-right-time" hreflang="en">Taste Test Your Thanksgiving Treats at the Right Time</a></span></div></li> <li><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/media/blog/2024/11/14/secret-successful-thanksgiving-right-tools-prepare-your-turkey-safely" hreflang="en">The Secret to a Successful Thanksgiving? 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Keep your Kitchen Clean and Sanitized this Thanksgiving | USDA