Super Bowl Sunday is an American tradition and a great way to bring together the three Fs: football, friends, and food. Most Super Bowl party menus will include game day essentials like chili, dips, chips and salsa, guacamole, and chicken wings. In fact, it is estimated that 1.35 billion chicken wing portions will be consumed during Super Bowl weekend! Sadly, these football favorites are some of the biggest culprits when it comes to foodborne illness (also known as food poisoning) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants to remind you to keep your food safe on Game Day.
Tackling Food Safety: Keeping Your Food Safe on Game Day
Did you know that Super Bowl Sunday is the second largest day for food consumption after Thanksgiving? Super Bowl parties often involve finger foods, a lot of people sharing communal dishes, and treats that are left out for long periods of timeall which can lead to foodborne illness (also known as food poisoning).
Learn more at:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/BuyStoreServeSafeFood/ucm328131.htm
https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/basics/index.html
The best host wants to make sure that foodborne illness is not invited to the party, so the FDA encourages you to pull out the food safety playbook and follow these simple steps:
CLEAN and wash kitchen surfaces, utensils, and hands before preparing or serving food and wash all produce including produce you plan to peel, such as avocados.
SEPARATE raw meats and poultry (and their juices) from cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods, like fruit and vegetables.
COOK meat and poultry to the right temperature by using a food thermometer.
CHILLcooked and prepared foods if you do not plan to consume them immediately.
FOR SERVING, keep cold foods chilled to 40F or below and hot foods heated to 140F or above.
Make food safety a priority on game day!
Contact: Media: 1-301-796-4540 Consumers: 1-888-SAFEFOOD (toll free)
View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/your-game-plan-for-a-food-safe-game-day-300590357.html
SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Videos