Include food safety in your holiday plans and keep your guests healthy and happy!

Keep Cold Foods Cold!

• Cold foods placed on a buffet can be kept cold by placing food dishes in larger bowls of ice. For party trays purchased at the supermarket, remove lid and fill lid with ice.  Put the tray on top.
• Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs and other perishables as soon as you get them home from the store.
• Keep the refrigerator at 40° F or below and use an appliance thermometer to check the temperature.
• Never defrost food at room temperature. There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately.

 Keep Hot Foods Hot!

• Hot foods on a buffet can be kept hot with chafing dishes, crock pots and warming trays and should be at 140° F or warmer.
• Eat leftovers within 3-4 days. Reheat leftovers to 165° F.

Follow the Two Hour Rule!

• Chill leftovers withing two hours.
• Rather than serve food from one large platter, arrange food on several small platters. Refrigerate platters of food until it is time to serve, and rotate food platters within two hours.

Additional Fight BAC!® Holiday Food Safety Resources:

• Keep the Holidays Happy
• The More the Merrier: Lots of People, Lots of Leftovers
• Talking Turkey
• Glorious Goodies to Send and Receive
• Brilliant Buffets