Skip to main content
Skip to main content

AskKaren


Five Times Fast: Food Safety Gifts for Festive Foodies

December 13, 2012 Maribel Alonso, Technical Information Specialist, USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline

These days, it seems everyone knows (or is) a foodie, a self-proclaimed guru of all things edible. To add to the myriad of “foodie gift guides” shopping sites have created this month, the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline has put together a list of inexpensive kitchen essentials, most of which are small...

Health and Safety

Thanksgiving Holiday Help: Plan Ahead

November 15, 2012 Tina Hanes, USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline

Cross posted from the foodsafety.gov blog: Let’s face it, in November, a turkey will most likely find its way onto your menu. Planning ahead can help ensure that your special meal is successful, safe, and stress-free. If you have questions, the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline offers planning tips...

Health and Safety

The Food Safety Discovery Zone Cooks Up Food Safety with Culinary Stars at the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show

December 01, 2011 Bridgette A. Keefe, Public Affairs Specialist, Food Safety and Inspection Service

Last month, thousands of foodies packed into the Washington Convention Center for the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show to gain culinary wisdom from icons like Paula Deen, Guy Fieri, Giada De Laurentiis, and… the USDA Food Safety Discovery Zone.

Health and Safety

Turkey FUNdamentals: Top Questions for Cooking a Turkey

November 10, 2011 Diane Van, Food Safety Education Staff Deputy Director, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline has been answering consumer questions related to Holiday meals for over 25 years. Of course, we get the usual questions about buying, thawing and roasting a turkey. But we also get some of the same not-so-typical questions each year. You may have had these questions...

Health and Safety

Massive Winter Storm Blankets the Midwest, Moves East: Ensure Food Safety When the Power Goes Out

February 02, 2011 Diane Van, Manager, USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline

Snow, sleet, ice, and wind can wreak havoc on our every day lives. Winter! It's a fact of modern life: sometimes the power goes out. If your power goes out, knowing how to keep food safe can help minimize the loss of food and reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Health and Safety

Holiday Food Safety Bloopers

December 22, 2010 Diane Van, Manager, USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline

Cross-posted from the FoodSafety.gov blog. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline talked to about 350 people on Thanksgiving Day about thawing, preparing and storing turkey. Most people were right on track and just needed some reassuring about handling the big bird. Some people, however, called about...

Health and Safety

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Cooking the Turkey

November 23, 2010 Diane Van, Manager, USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline

Cross-posted from the FoodSafety.gov blog. November is the busiest month of the year for those of us on the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline. During the week of Thanksgiving, we get lots of questions about how to safely cook a turkey. Here are answers to the questions we hear most often.

Health and Safety

Turkey Tweets and Facebook Live Chat for Holiday Food Safety

November 12, 2009

Today USDA’s first “Turkey Tweets” campaign takes flight. Every day until Friday, Nov. 27, the Food Safety and Inspection Service will send out a fresh turkey tip via Twitter, the popular instant messaging service. The tips help you prepare a successful and safe holiday meal.

Health and Safety
Subscribe to AskKaren

AskUSDA

One central entry point for you to access information and help from USDA.