Super Bowl Food Safety: Keeping yourself and your guests safe at parties
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Do you have plans for the big game on Sunday? Whether you're gathering for the game or for the commercials, it can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a time for caution around the food.
KDKA's John Shumway is here with words of concern from a food safety expert.
The last thing you want to do is get sick from the party you attend, or worse, get people sick at your party.
Most of us see a big game party as a blast with friends, but Food Safety Expert Trevor Craig sees the risks.
"Those large parties where foods kind of handled haphazardly can be really dangerous," Craig said. "You can get things like salmonella, Listeria, E. coli, and others."
Craig says that your biggest risk is room temperature.
"Food that is kept hot should be kept hot and put as cold should be kept cold and they should only be at those temperatures for about an hour, maybe two hours at most before you start reaching a dangerous level of bacteria that could possibly grow," Craig said.
Craig says that slow cookers are great to keep things warm and you can use bowls of ice under cold items like dips.
"That keeps that food at a level that's not going to be supported in bacteria," Craig said.
Craig says that dips are particularly concerning.
"Most of the time, people are going to be really dipping into that over and over and over again. And those can be very dangerous products after a while," Craig said.
Things like potato chips can be a lot less concerning, because they're already a room temperature item and are shelf stable.
Craig says those aren't going to be a big risk.
The main rule is to keep hot things hot and cold things cold and put some hand sanitizer near the plates.
Craig says that foodborne illnesses can hit within hours, or it could take days, but either way, it's not pleasant.
When it comes to saving party food for leftovers, Craig says it depends on how long it's been out.
If it's something you can reheat hot enough to kill bacteria, you might get away with it -- but if it's a cold item that's been at room temperature for an hour or two, he says to toss it.