Food Safety Tips For Your Holiday Meals, Left Overs

MIAMI (CBS) - Nearly 50 million Americans get sick every year from something they eat, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Practicing good food safety habits can help keep your holiday meals delicious and safe.

Dr. James Rogers with Consumer Reports says the holiday season is the time of year when more people make food safety mistakes.

"Make these good food safety practices habits that you continually do, so then when you do come to these more hectic times, you'll remember them," he said.

Consumer Reports says don't scroll through your mobile phone while cooking, but many people do it anyway while using the phone as a cookbook.

"If you then touch some type of digital device, such as your phone or an iPad, you can then contaminate those things," Rogers said.

If you do need your phone, you should wash your hands thoroughly first. The CDC says to scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.

Rogers says don't wash your turkey or other poultry. It can splash bacteria around the kitchen. Bacteria can also spread in reusable shopping bags. If you've carried raw meat in them, they may leave germs behind that contaminate food on future grocery runs.

"So, our recommendations are that you wash, if they're cloth bags, you wash them in hot water in your washing machine, possibly every use, depending on what you're bringing home from the grocery store," Rogers said.

Other food safety tips include using a food thermometer to make sure foods are cooked thoroughly and get leftovers back in the fridge within two hours and finish them within 3-4 days.