Tailgating Food Safety Tips

It's football season and for many that also means it is tailgate season. I have been sharing lots of great tailgating ideas on our blog. Here are few

Get Ready for the Tailgate 

One of the most important ideas to keep in mind when planning a tailgate party is food safety. It is important to keep dips, burgers, salads and other delicious food safe until it is time to serve up at the big game. Not protecting your food which is your game of sorts would be like having the quarterback lose the ball 10 yards away from the end zone. Some important tips to keep in mind include:

• Meats should all be cooked to the proper internal temp. A good meat thermometer will work out nicely for this job Insert the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat.                                                                                   USDA guidelines as follows

Ground meat (except poultry): Things like ground beef and sausage should always be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 160°F. This is especially important for things like hamburger patties, which have more of the meat exposed to the elements.

Fresh cuts of beef, veal, lamb: Steaks, chops and roasts should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F. Allow to rest for three minutes after cooking.

Poultry: All poultry, including chicken, turkey, duck, etc. should be cooked to a internal temperature no lower than 165°F. Remember, there is no “medium well” or “medium” chicken. Poultry should always be cooked all the way through. Poultry like chicken can be extremely difficult to “eyeball”. Sometimes cooked chicken remains a little pink, other times undercooked chicken can look thoroughly cooked. It’s always best to temp it.

Pork: All pork except for ground pork should be cooked to 145°F. The standard used to be higher, but the USDA recently lowered it to 145°F from the original 160°. Most people agree that pork tastes the best at this temperature, and the USDA determined that it is acceptable for food safety standards. Like steaks, make sure you allow the meat to rest for three minutes after cooking.

• Hot food should be kept hot just like cold food should be kept cold. Never let food reach between 40 degrees to 140 degrees as this is known as the danger zone. If this temp is maintained for more than 2 hours the food should be thrown away. Foods containing egg, dairy, meats, fish, sprouts, salads and sauces should be kept on ice at all times.  Foods that are hot like some dips, casseroles, grilled meats should all be kept warm or in crockpots if they are sitting out. When storing cool the hot foods and keep in fridge or freezer                              

Tip: keep cold foods cold by lining a foil baking pan with ice and placing cold foods in the pans. 

•  Food poisoning is commonly caused by handling the food improperly. This is often considered cross contamination. It can be avoided by washing hands with soap and warm water prior to prepping or cooking food and directly after touching raw meats. Separate cooler for raw meat should be used, separate utensils, tools and surfaces for raw meats

Enjoy your activity, the game or whatever else you may be doing and be safe about it by following these steps