Safety
AROUND YOUR HOME

Send your food gifts through the mail safely

Everyone loves getting holiday packages in the mail, especially gifts of food. Whether the food gifts are homemade or from a mail order company, food safety practices should be followed. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), recommends the giver and the receiver of mail order food gifts be concerned with safe food handling.

Jananne Finck

If you are ordering food gifts, ask the company how the food will be mailed. If it's a perishable item, it should be delivered as quickly as possible — ideally, overnight. Make sure perishable items and the outer package will be labeled "Keep refrigerated" to alert the recipient.

Ask the company if the storage and preparation instructions are included with the food gift. Some gifts are of an unusual nature and consumers may not know how to handle or prepare the food item.

Be sure to ask the company for a delivery date. Then alert the recipient that the gift is in the mail. That way they or a neighbor can be home to receive it. Otherwise it may sit on the front porch or at the post office for hours or even days.

Avoid delivering perishable items to an office unless you know it will arrive on a workday and there's adequate refrigerator or freezer space to keep the perishables cold.

If you receive a food gift, check the temperature if the item is marked "Keep refrigerated." USDA recommends that you open it immediately and check the temperature.

Optimally, the food should be frozen or partially frozen with ice crystals still visible, or at least refrigerator — cold to the touch. If the perishable food arrives warm, notify the company if you think you deserve a refund. USDA recommends you do not consume the food. But remember, it's the shipper s responsibility to deliver perishable food on time; the consumer's responsibility to have someone at home to receive the package.

Refrigerate or freeze perishable items immediately. Even if a product is partially defrosted, it is safe to freeze, although there may be a slight loss of quality.

If you plan to mail perishable food gifts yourself, practice caution in handling and shipping.

First, pack it safely. Perishable foods will stay at a safe temperature longest if frozen solid first. After frozen, pack your food gift with a cold source such as a frozen gel pack or dry ice. Be sure the cold source is adequate for the amount of perishable food to be mailed.

Use a sturdy box, such as heavy foam or corrugated cardboard to pack the frozen food and cold source. Fill any empty space with crushed paper or foam popcorn. Air space in the box will cause the food and cold source to thaw faster.

Lastly, be sure to properly label the package. It should be clearly marked "Perishable — keep refrigerated!" As mentioned earlier, arrange a delivery date with the recipient. Ship by overnight delivery.

Exercise caution when considering mailing your own perishable food gifts. Sometimes the safest option may be to send a couple dozen homemade chocolate chip cookies instead.

If you have additional food safety questions, call your local extension office. Questions about meat, poultry or eggs may be directed to the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at (800) 535-4555. Home economists staff the hotline from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST at year's end.

Last minute tips for safe holiday food

Here are a few key tips to prevent foodborne illnesses:

• Thaw a frozen turkey in the refrigerator or under cold running water. You may thaw in the microwave but remember to immediately complete the cooking process once it has been thawed. Never thaw a frozen turkey on the kitchen counter.

• Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Immediately after the holiday dinner, remove the meat from the bone and refrigerate in small, shallow containers.

• Don't try to cook turkey overnight at low temperatures. The oven temperature should be set no lower than 325 degrees F. Cooking at temperatures less than 325 degrees helps bacteria to grow.

• Cook custards to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F and refrigerate custard pies made with eggs, including pumpkin pie.

• For eggnog, don't use a raw egg recipe. Rather, use commercially prepared pasteurized eggnog or make your own with a cooked custard base.

• Remember the two-hour rule — don't leave perishable foods at room temperature for more than two hours.

Jananne Finck is an extension educator, Nutrition and Wellness, at the Springfield Extension Center. She is a dietitian registered with the state of Illinois.

14 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING NOVEMBER 1998