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USDA
Gives Food Safety Advice to Kick Off Your Super Bowl Party
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2008 -
Millions of Americans will settle down in front of the
television on Super Bowl Sunday to cheer on their favorite
team, making this the second highest day of food consumption
in the United States after Thanksgiving. USDA's Food Safety
and Inspection Service offers some smart tips to help Super
Bowl partygoers and hosts avoid committing their own food
safety "personal fouls."
"While football has the 'two-minute' warning, the food safety
arena has the 'two-hour' rule," said USDA Under Secretary for
Food Safety Dr. Richard Raymond. "One of the biggest food
safety mistakes people make during these types of gatherings
is that they let perishable food items sit out for far too
long."
The game and the party will go on for several hours, and food
is often put out early for guests to munch on before and
during the big game. Any foods — hot or cold — that have been
sitting out at room temperature for more than two hours can
easily allow bacteria to multiply and cause illness. When
perishable foods are not kept on a heating source (chafing
dish or slow cooker) or nestled in a chilling source (bowls of
ice), they enter the Danger Zone between 40 °F and 140
°F where bacteria grow the most rapidly and should be thrown
away after remaining at room temperature for more than two
hours.
If you are hosting or preparing food for a Super Bowl party,
then you are the head coach for this big event. As the head
coach, you need a game plan and you call the plays. You can
ensure your guests won't end up on injured reserve by
following USDA's basic food safety messages.
Clean — Avoid penalties for Illegal Use of Hands.
In the every day game of food safety, this penalty occurs when
you or your guests prepare or handle food without first
washing your hands. Always wash hands with soap and warm water
for 20 seconds before and after handling food, and don't
forget to also wash surfaces often.
Separate — Avoid Encroachment and don't jump
offsides. Keep raw meat and poultry separate from cooked
foods. You'll get a flag for encroachment in your kitchen if
you cut raw veggies on the same cutting board that was used to
cut chicken and other raw meats. The juices from raw meat can
contain harmful bacteria that cross-contaminates other foods.
Use one cutting board for raw meat and poultry and one cutting
board for veggies. If you use only one cutting board, wash it
with hot soapy water after preparing each food item.
Cook — Use a food thermometer to make sure your foods
are in The Red Zone. You'll be sure to score when you
use a thermometer to ensure that the food you prepare is
thoroughly cooked. Meat and poultry including chicken wings,
sausages and hamburgers, should be cooked to a temperature
high enough to kill harmful bacteria such as Salmonella
and E. coli O157:H7.
And remember, color is not a reliable indicator of
doneness — internal temperature is. Use a food thermometer to
be sure meat and poultry are safely cooked. Steaks should be
cooked to 145 °F, ground beef should be cooked to 160 °F and
all poultry should be cooked to 165 °F. Once your foods have
reached The Red Zone for food safety, protect your team
from the Danger Zone. Don't leave foods sitting out for
more than two hours at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F.
Chill — Your defense for good Pass Protection.
In food safety, to ensure your guests continue to be food safe
when they come back and blitz the table for seconds,
refrigerate leftovers promptly. Your pass protection will
block offensive bacteria from multiplying and running up the
score. Refrigerate or freeze foods promptly. Keep cold food
cold, the same rules of the Danger Zone apply for cold
foods, too. If cold food has been sitting out for more than
two hours, do not eat it.
Make the Right Call. In football, referees can use
instant replay to ensure they made the right call. One of the
best resources available before kickoff is USDA's virtual
representative, "Ask Karen," a feature that also allows you to
ask food safety-related questions 24 hours a day. Visit "Ask
Karen" at
AskKaren.gov. Food safety
coaches are available by phone at the USDA's Meat and Poultry
Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854). Recorded messages
are available 24 hours a day and the Hotline is staffed with
food safety experts, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. Eastern Time. |
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