Party Food
If you're helping to plan a big celebration, some simple precautions can help it all go smoothly.
Big functions, big responsibilities...
Large functions mean there are large quantities of cooked and uncooked food competing for fridge, freezer and cooker space.
Make sure you plan your cooking and food storage carefully before you begin, to avoid any safety risks.
Avoiding cross-contamination
Cross-contamination occurs when bacteria spreads from uncooked foods, pets, hands, dirty cloths etc. onto prepared food. This can cause |food poisoning outbreaks. If not handled properly a wide range of foods can cause food poisoning - so don't take chances with people's health. If you haven't got the facilities to cater safely for functions from home, don't do it at all!
Remember to:
- Wash dishes, worktops and cutlery with hot water and detergent. We also recommend using an antibacterial spray.
- Wash your hands thoroughly in hot soapy water before touching food, especially after you have come into contact with pets, dirty cloths, the dustbin or after using the toilet. Continue to wash hands frequently while preparing food, and always between handling raw and cooked foods.
- Keep anyone who has or recently has had diarrhoea or vomiting out of the kitchen.
- Cover any cuts or grazes with a waterproof dressing.
- Thaw meat and poultry completely before cooking, either in the fridge or by microwaving.
- Keep cold foods inside the fridge if you're not using them. Make sure you've got the capacity to keep food cool and safe, ideally below 8OC.
- Keep the fridge door closed as much as possible to avoid raising the temperature.
- Cook food thoroughly to kill harmful bacteria that cause food poisoning, above 75OC.
- Cool cooked foods completely before putting them in the fridge. Try to cool foods within an hour and a half of cooking.
Party Essentials
- Take proper care with leftovers. Throw away any food scraps and any perishable food that has been standing at room temperature for more than a couple of hours. Store other leftovers in clean, covered containers in the fridge and eat within 48 hours.
- Don't use dirty cloths. Keep plenty of clean ones handy and change tea towels and hand towels frequently.
- Don't allow raw meat or defrosting food to drip onto cooked or prepared foods. Keep these raw items at the bottom of the fridge and protect the salad tray.
- Don't fill the fridge with wines, beers and soft drinks. While these may taste better cold, they do not need to be refrigerated. If space is short, keep them in separate ice buckets or cold water so that you can keep available fridge space for perishable items.
- Don't overload your fridge. Its efficiency will suffer if the cooling air circulating inside cannot flow freely. Use a fridge thermometer to check it's temperature.
- Don't reheat cooked food more than once. Make sure it is piping hot throughout before serving.
For further information contact the |Environmental Health & Licensing Division.
