The Secret to a Successful Ramadan? Food Safety.

Three Food Safety Tips to Remember for Cooking while Fasting

A blessed Ramadan to all those who celebrate! As the month of fasting in Islam begins, families are looking forward to gathering for community and home-cooked meals. Preparing these iftar meals (eaten after sunset during Ramadan) may require foods to be prepared early, so that religious obligations are completed prior to gathering and enjoying the meals. This provides an extended opportunity for foodborne illness to ruin major holiday dishes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) wants to keep your celebrations going with some tips on how not to be at risk for foodborne illness.

  1. Cook to a safe internal temperature. Timing is everything when rushing to have food on the table by sunset, and you really want that perfect first bite after a long day of fasting. But don’t rush the cooking process! Give yourself ample time to ensure your meat and poultry dishes reach a safe internal temperature:
    • Lamb and beef, whole-cuts: 145 F, with a three-minute rest time.
    • Lamb and beef, ground: 160 F.
    • All poultry, whole or ground: 165 F.

Having a food thermometer handy will keep the guesswork out and ensure you have a safely cooked food ready in time to break your fast.

  1. Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. Food may not last long on the table once iftar time hits, but remember, cold foods should be kept under 40 F, and this can be done by serving the food dishes in bowls of ice. Hot foods should be kept above 140 F, which is where a preheated oven or slow cooker can come in handy.
  2. Remember the 2-hour rule. As you sit back after iftar, content from a good meal, time creeps by. Suddenly it’s time to leave for the mosque, where many Muslims spend Ramadan nights in prayer among their community. In the hurry to clean and leave on time, don’t forget to safely store your food. Never leave perishable food out at room temperature over two hours (or one hour if the temperature is above 90 F). Bacteria that can cause foodborne illness will start to grow to dangerous levels between 40 F and 140 F. This temperature range is called the “Danger Zone,” and the only danger zone we want to approach in Ramadan is the risk of eating too many sweets.

With these simple steps to food safety, you’re all set to go forth and carry out your Ramadan cooking. Have a safe Ramadan!

Food Safety Specialists are Here for You 

Need more information about food safety? Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) to talk to a food safety specialist, email [email protected] or chat live at ask.usda.gov from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.