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Football tailgate parties - avoid food safety penalties for a winning meal
Football tailgate parties - avoid food safety penalties for a winning meal
Posted on Sep 14, 2011 by Maggie LaBarbera
Football season is here and many families (including mine) will take part in some fun tailgating parties.
One of the challenges in tailgating party that goes for several hours is food safety. Here are some Referee Tips to keep your food free from bacteria during family tailgating events!
Penalties:
Illegal use of hands
- Avoid penalties for "illegal use of hands." Unclean hands are one of the biggest culprits for spreading bacteria
- Careful with finger foods as bacteria can spread quickly - use tongs, forks or spoons instead of fingers
Offsides
- Think of your tailgate foods as two different teams—uncooked versus ready-to-eat foods.
- Prevent "encroachment" at all costs and keep each team (food) in its own zone.
- The juices from raw meat can contain harmful bacteria that contaminate other foods so you want to keep that separated.
- Use one cutting board for raw meat and poultry and another one for cutting veggies or foods that will not be cooked.
- If you use only one cutting board, wash it with hot soapy water after preparing each food item.
- As you take cooked meat off the grill, be sure to place it on a clean platter, not on the dish that held it while raw.
Equipment violations
- Call a "time out" and use a food thermometer to be sure meat and poultry are safely cooked.
- whole cuts of fresh beef and pork should be cooked to 145 °F followed by a three minute stand time,
- ground beef and pork should be cooked to 160 °F (no rest time is necessary).
- Ground, whole, or pieces of poultry, as well as casseroles, should be cooked to 165 °F.
- Hotdogs and reheated deli meats should be cooked to 165 °F or until steaming hot.
"Holding" violations
- "Never hold perishable foods out for more than two hours, or for more than one hour if the temperature is above 90 °F.
- Put leftovers back in the cooler promptly to block offensive bacteria from growing.
- When in doubt, throw it out of the game—and your tailgate party.
Source: USDA
Other Resources:
Chef Solus Food Safety Rules Checklist
Spanish version
Recommended Safety Tips When Cooking With Children
Spanish Version
How To Pick Fresh Fruits and Vegetables in Season
Spanish Version
How to Cook With Younger Kids Guide
Spanish Version
Even little kids can help with certain tasks. Here is a list of the tasks they can do based on their age.
Healthy Cooking Tips for Parents
Spanish Version
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