Planning parties for friends and with friends is always fun, especially when it comes to choosing the food, the venue and even the type of music to be played. It could be agreed upon that food is the main part of the event, yet little thought is cast to how it is handled. Safe handling of food is crucially important at parties lest your party be remembered to have had quite a number of unwanted guests (read: bacteria!)
In the case of food contamination, prevention is better than cure and a number of steps should be taken to ensure food safety at your party.
One should always observe the golden rule of washing hands before and after dealing with food. As a party planner one should ensure that everyone involved obeys this rule. A suggestion would be to see that all food is cooked at one place, preferably by few people, such that they are easier to manage. The cooking and serving utensils and dishes should also always remain clean.
Moreover, when cooking the food see to it that it is thoroughly cooked, especially if cooking before the party date. A tip would be to cook all meat to a minimum temperature of 78 degrees Celsius. The food should then be stored in shallow containers for it to cool rapidly and evenly. Also, at room temperature, food should sit a minimum of 2 hours.
Hot foods should remain hot, while cold foods remain cold. If the food is being served buffet style, one can warm it using slow cookers or warming trays. To keep food cold, place it in bowls filled with ice, and keep replacing the ice as is necessary.
True, bacteria are everywhere, but some particularly thrive where there are large amounts of food such as the ‘staph’ bacteria or the ‘perfringens,’ commonly referred to as the cafeteria germ. Following the above steps could keep these party crashers at bay. However, should contamination occur one should seek medical assistance immediately. Party safe!
Leave A Comment