Feature Articles
Ingredients for safe feasts
Adapted by Jessica Kovarik, RD, LD, Extension Associate, University of Missouri Extension, written by Janet M. Hackert, Regional Nutrition and Health Education Specialist
Parties and gatherings are great places to share recipes and this one goes well with your health: food safety!
Washing hands often is always a good first step in
keeping food safe. Keeping dishes, utensils, and
surfaces clean is also very important. So be sure the
place where the food will be served is clean. Wash hands
often while preparing food. And encourage those eating
your delicacies to wash their hands before they eat.
Warm water, soap, and scrubbing for 20 seconds are the
key ingredients.
This time of year often means sharing food – at the
office party or the church potluck. Whatever the
gathering, food needs to be kept safe – from start to
finish. That means from the time it’s prepared (often at
home) until the time it’s eaten, it needs to be at the
proper temperature. Keep hot foods hot; that means 140°F
or hotter. If it’s not steaming, it’s not hot enough.
Use crock-pots, chafing dishes, and warming trays to
keep foods like casseroles, meat dishes, or sauces at a
safe temperature. Keep cold foods cold, meaning 40°F or
colder. Put cold food, like dips, veggies, cold cuts, or
cold salads in a dish that fits well nested into a
container of ice. Or serve smaller amounts and keep the
rest cold in a nearby refrigerator and replenish as
needed. For hot or cold, use an insulated container,
thermos, or cooler to transport foods.
Proper temperature is a key ingredient to keeping food
safe; time is the other key ingredient. Don’t let cooked
and prepared foods sit out longer than two hours or the
microbial count could multiply to unsafe proportions! On
a buffet table, set out only as much food as will be
eaten in two hours or less. Keep the surplus oven-hot or
refrigerator-cold. When replenishing the serving table,
replace empty dishes with new ones rather than just
adding fresh food. Otherwise, you end up with some of
the food sitting out for too long!
Think “food safety” when planning your holiday
gatherings and enjoy the party and the days that follow!
Remember the ingredients – cleanliness, time, and
temperature.
Last update:
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
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