Thanksgiving is only a week away and like millions of Americans around the country, I’m looking forward to spending time with family and reflecting on the countless blessings in my life. As all of us anxiously wait for the week to go by, I wanted to take some time and talk about the importance of having a safe start to the Holiday Season.
As part of the American tradition, millions of families across the country prepare holiday meals. Here in the USDA, we want to make sure you have the information and resources you need to cook safe and great food. You can do simple things like making sure you have a pan large enough for a Turkey and investing in a thermometer to make sure meat is cooked to the right temperature. To help you prepare safe meals, we are holding a Live Facebook Thanksgiving chat today at 3:00 pm EST with a holiday food safety expert from the Food Safety Inspection Service. This chat is a great place to have all your food safety questions answered. You can also submit questions in advance of the live chat. I hope you will take a little time to join this important conversation.
Preparing well for Thanksgiving is such an important part of having a great time with family and friends. So as I start my own countdown to Thanksgiving, I’ll continue to work with food safety experts to ensure that you have access to accurate information. Thank you for being proactive about your family’s safety and have a wonderful Holiday Season.
Tom Vilsack is Secretary of Agriculture
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