By Kristen Hicks-Roof PhD, RD
mail@floridanewsline.com
It is that time of the year again when fall sports are in full swing and you may be participating in tailgating, hosting sporting events or out on the field supporting kids, friends, or family. During this time, it’s important for you and everyone that joins the celebration that there is a focus on keeping food safe and staving off foodborne illness. Let’s focus on the four Cs of food safety.
Clean: There is no need to clean raw meats; this increases the risk of foodborne illness for you and your guests. Keeping hand hygiene is going to also be critical this fall so you keep you and your family safe from illness. At an outdoor event? Make sure you bring along some hand sanitizer for the people cooking and those serving and eating.
Cross-contamination: Avoiding cross-contamination when working with raw foods, it’s important to separate fruits/vegetables from raw meat. Using separate cutting boards and knives are essential. An alternative strategy is to cut all produce first and then cut raw meat last so there is no risk of cross contamination.
Cook: Animal proteins each have unique cooking temperatures (see https://tinyurl.com/2z3tjr8e); using a meat thermometer can help you determine if the internal temperature is at the minimum temperature.
Chill: Keeping foods at appropriate temperatures when being served should be top of mind. Cold food should stay cold and warm food should stay warm; avoid the “danger zone” (40 – 140 degrees). Using chilled trays, warming dishes, or limiting the time food stays out on the table can help.
Looking for inspiration for your sporting celebrations?
- Saucy Chili-Orange Pork Back Ribs (www.yummly.com/recipe/Saucy-Chili-Orange-Pork-Back-Ribs-1841513)
- Grilled Chicken Skewers with Veggies (www.freshoffthegrid.com/grilled-chicken-veggie-skewers/)
- Quinoa Stuffed Mushrooms (https://ancientharvest.com/ancientharvestrecipe/quinoa-pecan-stuffed-mushrooms/)
- Cold Spinach Dip (www.easycheesyvegetarian.com/healthy-spinach-dip)
- No Bake Oatmeal Protein Balls (www.thehealthymaven.com/no-bake-oatmeal-protein-energy-balls/)
Kristen Hicks-Roof PhD, RDN, LDN, CLC, FAND is an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Brooks College of Health, University of North Florida.
