November 24, 2025
Media Contact: Erin Perkins, erin.perkins@vdh.virginia.gov
Rappahannock Area Health District Shares Food Safety Tips for the Holidays
Share the Joy this Holiday, Not the Germs
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The holiday season is here! Most holiday festivities include a food component, from family dinners to party appetizers. The Rappahannock Area Health District (RAHD) shares safety and prevention tips to ensure that your holidays are filled with joy, laughter and good tiding, not illnesses.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 6 Americans (48 million) get sick from foodborne illness annually. Foodborne illnesses can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi or chemicals and are the reason for a significant number of emergency room and urgent care visits each year. Typical signs and symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.
Don’t let a foodborne illness put a damper on your holiday celebration. The Rappahannock Area Health District shares four key steps to preventing foodborne illness – clean, separate, cook and chill.
Clean
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds using soap and warm water before and after preparing or eating food and after using the bathroom or changing diapers. Be sure to wash hands after handling uncooked meat, chicken and other poultry, seafood, flour, or eggs.
- Wash surfaces to include utensils, counters and cutting boards, that come in contact with food using hot, soapy water before and after preparing each food item.
- Rinse all fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking.
Separate
- Keep foods separate – raw meat, poultry, seafood, and their juices should be separated from other foods when grocery shopping and stored in separate spots in the refrigerator.
- Avoid cross contamination by not reusing cutting boards, utensils and plates that have come into contact with uncooked foods.
- Prevent germs from spreading – Do not rinse poultry. Research from USDA found that rinsing poultry and raw meat often result in spreading germs on sinks and countertops.
Cook
- Thaw food properly – Thaw frozen food safely in the refrigerator, under cold running water, or in the microwave. Never thaw turkey by leaving it on the counter at room temperature.
- Cook food fully – Use a thermometer to ensure that food is cooked to a safe minimal internal temperature. Cooking times for a turkey depend on the weight and whether it is stuffed.
- Microwave thoroughly – Microwave ovens can cook food unevenly and leave “cold spots” where harmful bacteria can survive. Follow recommended cooking and standing times. Letting food sit for a few minutes allows it to cook more completely.
- Avoid raw foods – CDC advises against eating raw foods, including uncooked meat, poultry, fish, eggs and flour. Raw cookie dough shouldn’t be eaten because it contains eggs and flour.
Chill
- Set the temperature – Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below and your freezer at 0°F or below.
- Use the two-hour rule – Refrigerate any leftovers within two hours. This rule applies to any food that should normally be refrigerated, including pumpkin pie. Discard any food left out at room temperature for more than two hours. When in doubt, throw it out!
- Store leftovers safely – Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days or in the freezer for three to four months. Store leftover food in small, shallow containers for quicker cooling.
If you suspect that more than one person has become ill after eating a common food, please contact RAHD at 540-899-4797, or visit Local Health Departments – Rappahannock for contact information for your local health department in the RAHD. You can also visit MyMealDetective.com to submit a foodborne illness report.
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