Holiday foods can create lasting memories, but preparing dishes you may not normally cook may bring with it the potential for foodborne illness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) invites people to spend an hour learning and sharing tips and techniques for memorable holiday dining and bring food safety home for the holidays.

The CDC will hold a Twitter chaton Bringing Food Safety Home for the Holidays (#CDCFoodChat) 2 to 3 p.m. EST on Wednesday, December 9. 

The Twitter chat with feature food safety experts and guest foodies who'll share tips on planning and preparing holiday meals that are safe, healthy, and worth remembering.

What do successful party givers, seasoned home cooks, and culinary professionals have in common? They focus on the entire food experience—starting with the planning and preparation. This year, spend an hour learning and sharing tips and techniques for memorable holiday dining and bring food safety home for the holidays.

Chat Topics

Prepare for your holiday meal—from the grocery store to your cutting board. Learn how to be the host of the season by practicing safe and healthy food preparation. Remember these simple steps: wash hands and surfaces often, avoid cross-contamination, cook foods to proper temperatures, and refrigerate promptly.

Host or a guest? Keep food safe when serving and transporting. Learn the best ways to avoid the naughty list by keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Refresh yourself on the two-hour rule to have a memorable and germ-free buffet.

Problem foods. Certain foods come with a higher risk of food poisoning than others. Learn which foods have the potential to make you toss your cookies if they aren't prepared properly!

Enjoy the leftovers. The party can live on if your guests take a doggie bag to go, but don’t give your guests doggie bags with germs! Learn how to store leftover goodies and how long is too long to keep foods unrefrigerated.

Hosts

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

FoodSafety.gov

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Inspection Service

U.S. Food and Drug Administration