By April Reese
University of Georgia

Georgia’s football season draws fans and foods to the stadium on
game day. But without proper concern for safety, the food can
leave fans sick.

“Grocery stores and restaurants are now making it easy to
tailgate with a variety of foods that make your menu planning a
breeze,” said Elizabeth Andress, an extension food safety
specialist with the University of Georgia College of Family and
Consumer Sciences.

“However, even when someone else prepares the food,” she said,
“plan a good defense to keep the food safe.”

While restaurant foods make tailgating easier, there are still
rules for keeping food safe to eat.

Two-hour rule

“If eating hot take-out food, either eat it within 2 hours of
purchase or keep it hot, above 140 degrees Fahrenheit,” Andress
said. “Otherwise, plan ahead and use your home refrigerator to
chill it down, and then keep it in a cooler below 40 degrees.”

Always keep cold foods like potato salad, coleslaw, bean salads,
pasta salads, cheese spreads and chip dips refrigerated. “Keep
them refrigerated or in an iced cooler,” Andress said, “as soon
as they’re purchased.”

She suggests serving them sitting in ice in a large dish or pan
and keeping them covered as much as possible. If you can’t do
that, put them back in the cooler within 2 hours. “Perishable
cooked food such as luncheon meat must be kept cold, too,” she
said.

Hot meals

When the weather turns colder, you may want foods like soup,
chili and hot stew. Look for containers that can keep hot foods
hot for many hours.

“Fill the container with boiling water, let it stand for a few
minutes, empty it and then put in piping-hot food,” Andress said.
“Keep the insulated container closed to keep the food hot (140 or
above) for several hours.”

Unless you know the food was kept clean and cold during the game,
don’t eat your way to being sidelined with foodborne illness
after the game.

If you plan to keep food for after the game or to take home, you
might need an extra cooler filled with fresh ice for leftovers.
Look for coolers that can keep ice for days, even in hot weather.

Do your part

“Remember, you don’t know the history of how your take-out food
was prepared or held until you picked it up,” Andress said. “Be
extra careful with the food safety rules once it’s in your care.”

Bacteria multiply fast between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Never leave food in the ‘danger zone’ more than 2 hours — 1
hour when the outside temperature is above 90,” she said.

To make sure bacteria don’t have a sporting chance at your
tailgate, the rules are simple. Andress offers the same advice on
food safety for the football season and every season.

Simple rules

• Keep it clean. Bring plenty of plates and utensils for eating
  and serving. Only use clean serving plates and utensils. If you
  plan to party after the game, too, bring enough plates and
  utensils to use new ones. Don’t pull out what you used before the
  game.




• Find out if there is a source of drinking water at the site.
  If not, bring water for cleaning. Pack clean, wet, disposable
  cloths or towelettes and paper towels for cleaning hands and
  surfaces.




• Don’t cross-contaminate. Separate. Keep foods well packaged
  to avoid cross-contamination. If you take ready-to-eat salads or
  vegetables from the store, keep them separate from any raw meat
  or poultry you plan to cook yourself at the tailgate.




• Eat well-cooked meats, and keep hot foods hot. Your chicken
  pieces or wings, barbecue or hamburgers need to be cooked
  thoroughly, or don’t eat them. Don’t eat pink meat and poultry
  that looks undercooked, even if you’ve paid money for it.

(April Reese is a student writer with the University of
Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.)