Last Updated: November 24, 2025
The holiday season is here! Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) share safety and prevention tips to ensure that your holidays are filled with joy, laughter and good tidings, not foodborne illness.
“We encourage everyone to practice safe food handling during this holiday season,” said Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Environmental Health Manager Cindy McKelvy. “Make sure you wash your hands (but not your turkey), cook foods to proper temperatures, cool foods quickly, store foods properly, and thoroughly reheat pre-cooked foods. Practicing safe food handling in the kitchen will help protect you and your loved ones from foodborne illness.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in six Americans (48 million) get sick from foodborne illness every year. Foodborne illnesses usually affect your stomach or bowels. Typical signs and symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Don’t let a foodborne illness put a damper on your holiday celebration.
RHHD shares four key steps to preventing foodborne illness – clean, separate, cook, and chill.
Clean
- Wash Your Hands. Wash your hands before and after preparing food or eating 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. Wash any surface that comes in contact with food—including counters, cutting boards, and utensils—with hot, soapy water before and after preparing each food item.
- Rinse Produce. Rinse all fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking.
Separate
- Keep Foods Separate. Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and their juices away from other foods when grocery shopping. Store them in separate spots in the refrigerator.
- Avoid Cross-Contamination. Avoid cross-contamination by not reusing cutting boards, utensils, and plates, especially if they have touched uncooked foods.
- Prevent Germs from Spreading. Do not rinse poultry. Research from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that rinsing poultry and raw meat often spreads germs onto sinks and countertops.
Cook
- Thaw Food Properly. Thaw frozen food safely in the refrigerator, in cold 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 after microwaving 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 should not be eaten because it contains raw 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 RHHD at 804-205-3912. You can also visit MyMealDetective.com to submit a foodborne illness report.