Celebrate This Holiday Season Safely With Tips From the Poison Control Center
A Rutgers medical expert discusses how to reduce the risks of poisoning
Each year, an estimated 48 million Americans get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die of food poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The New Jersey Poison Control Center received roughly 240 calls asking about food poisoning, food preparation, serving and storage during the holiday season in November and December 2024.
People should remember these four steps: Clean, separate, cook and chill. Wash your hands and surfaces often during food preparation using warm water and soap.
Diane Calello
Executive and Medical Director, New Jersey Poison Control Center at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Food contamination can occur at any point during the food process, from food production to preparation, whether at a restaurant or home. “Before prepping your holiday feast, take a few minutes to check for food recalls,” said Diane Calello, executive and medical director of the New Jersey Poison Control Center at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. “Each year, hundreds of products – from turkey and stuffing to pies and fresh produce – are recalled due to contamination with harmful bacteria, such as salmonella, listeria, clostridium botulinum and clostridium perfringens. Undeclared allergens are a real concern as they can trigger severe, even life-threatening reactions in people with food allergies.”
In 2024, a total of 296 food recalls were reported by the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture combined. Although the number of recalls slightly decreased from 2023, the number of illnesses and fatalities resulting from contaminated food increased significantly.
Foods contaminated with pathogens can cause severe illness, especially in children, older adults and pregnant people. With large holiday gatherings, an unsafe ingredient can put many loved ones at risk. Remember to check trusted resources before you prep — FDA.gov or USDA.gov.
Calello discusses how to enjoy the upcoming holidays and avoid the risks of food poisoning.
How can people safely prepare and serve food?
People should remember these four steps: Clean, separate, cook and chill. Wash your hands and surfaces often during food preparation using warm water and soap.
Clean fruit and vegetables by simply rinsing them. Do not use soap.
Be careful of cross-contamination. Keep raw meats, poultry and seafood separate from other food that requires no further cooking when grocery shopping and in the refrigerator. Use separate cutting boards during preparation – one board for fruits, vegetables and bread and another board for raw meat, poultry and seafood. Use a food thermometer to make sure foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature.
Keep your refrigerator below 40°F and know when you should discard food.
Refrigerate perishable food within two hours. Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave and never on the counter. Foodborne germs – bacteria, parasites and viruses – can grow very quickly in foods left at room temperature for more than two hours.
We strongly recommend not thawing your turkey out of the refrigerator at room temperature. This method significantly increases the risk of food poisoning since it allows the turkey to thaw unevenly, leaving parts still frozen.
Holiday kitchens can get hectic, but food safety should always come first. If you’re feeling sick with any respiratory illness or infection, avoid preparing food. Cooking and serving food while sick can spread germs and make your guests sick.
Washing your hands is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent food contamination and stop the spread of respiratory illnesses. Germs from your hands can easily transfer to food, utensils, surfaces and people.
What are the symptoms of food poisoning?
Food poisoning can happen just a few hours after consuming contaminated food. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea and fever.
Who is especially vulnerable to food poisoning?
While everyone is at risk for food poisoning, certain groups such as young children, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems from medical conditions are more likely to get sick and develop a serious illness.
What is a common question the center hears during the holidays – and how do you answer it?
We commonly are asked if it’s safe to defrost the turkey on the counter instead of in the refrigerator and whether that would lead to food poisoning. We strongly recommend not thawing your turkey out of the refrigerator at room temperature. This method significantly increases the risk of food poisoning since it allows the turkey to thaw unevenly, leaving parts still frozen. Raw turkeys can have bacteria such as salmonella, clostridium perfringens and campylobacter. Leaving the turkey at room temperature for more than two hours can cause germs to grow to dangerous levels that can cause illness.
The “danger zone” refers to the range of temperatures between 40° F and 140° F where bacteria grow most rapidly. The safest way to defrost turkeys is at a consistent temperature in the refrigerator. The turkey will take much more time to defrost, so allow enough time.
How can people stay safe when drinking alcohol and recognize alcohol poisoning?
Intoxication can lead to death or permanent brain damage. People consume alcohol more frequently during the holidays, so it’s important to understand how to drink safely and recognize alcohol poisoning.
A standard drink is said to be: 12 ounces of beer at 5% alcohol by volume, 5 ounces of wine at 12% alcohol by volume or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor at 40% alcohol by volume.
People often consider how many drinks they’ve had, but don’t consider the volume or alcohol content of those drinks. A standard drink is said to be: 12 ounces of beer at 5% alcohol by volume, 5 ounces of wine at 12% alcohol by volume or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor at 40% alcohol by volume. Most alcoholic drinks are not consistently measured, which makes it difficult to know exactly how much alcohol you are consuming. In addition, today’s drinks, especially craft beers, often have a much higher alcohol content than they did in the past.
How can people keep their pets safe? What foods should we not feed them from the table?
Just like children, pets are quick and can get into dangerous products in no time at all.
Some holiday foods can be dangerous to pets – chocolate, candy, bread and dough, fatty meat scraps, grapes, raisins and currants, sugarless products and cocoa. Artificial sweeteners like xylitol (also called wood sugar, birch sugar and birch bark extract) can cause severe illness if pets eat products containing this ingredient.
To pets, everything looks like food, even products that aren’t edible. Be on the lookout for other common household dangers like button batteries, small magnets, vapes and nicotine products, medicines and recreational and illegal drugs.
Keep dangerous products up high and out of sight and reach of pets. If your pet can see it, your pet can reach it. If any of these items are swallowed, get help fast from a veterinarian, animal hospital or the Pet Poison Helpline.
Any poisoning concerns or questions? Contact the New Jersey Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
