Rest assured that at House of Raeford, we take every precaution and follow strict guidelines to ensure the very highest standards of food safety. Here are some things you should do to keep you and your family safe from foodborne illness.

Purchasing, Handling & Thawing

• A basic rule of thumb for poultry is: Keep it Hot or Keep it Cold. Keep it out of the 'Danger Zone.' The Danger Zone is between 40° and 140° F, the temperature range that allows bacteria to multiply.
• Follow the Safe Handling instructions on poultry packaging.
• When purchasing poultry, make sure packaging is intact and tightly sealed.
• Get your poultry at the end of your shopping, and be sure to refrigerate as soon as possible.
• Be sure poultry is bagged so it doesn't touch other foods.
• Poultry should only be kept in the refrigerator for 2 days; if you don't use it within 2 days, freeze it.
• If properly packaged, poultry will maintain its quality in a home freezer for up to a year.

There are three safe methods of thawing poultry:

In the refrigerator. This means planning ahead because large items take time to thaw. (A whole frozen turkey requires about 24 hours for every 5 lbs.) Poultry thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking.

In cold water. Make sure poultry is in tightly sealed packaging, bag or container and submerge it in cold tap water. Change the water every half-hour so it stays cold. Cold water thawing requires less time - a whole turkey, for example, will take about 30 minutes per lb. Foods thawed in cold water should be cooked before refreezing.

In the microwave. Poultry thawed in the microwave should be cooked immediately after thawing. It should not be refrozen before cooking.

Safe Cooking

• Chicken and turkey should always be cooked thoroughly (never 'medium' or 'rare'!).

• Pierce with a fork ' fork should go in easily and juices should run clear, not pink.
• Using a meat thermometer on whole turkeys and chickens, the thickest part of the breast should be 170°; the thickest part of the thigh should reach 180¾. If bird is stuffed, center part of stuffing should reach 165°. (Be sure to remove stuffing to a separate container before storing in the refrigerator or freezer.)
• Never flavor cooked poultry with marinades used on raw product.
• Never put cooked chicken or turkey on the same plate used when it was raw (this goes for the barbecue-chef, too!).
• Thoroughly clean utensils, cutting boards and surfaces used for raw poultry.