"Foods that are left out for long periods of time during holiday dinner parties and buffets can be an ideal setting for bacteria to multiply," said Melanie Miller, executive director of the Partnership for Food Safety Education, a public-private partnership that provides food safety education through its Fight BAC!® campaign. Noting that millions of people get sick each year from bacteria on food, Miller stressed the importance of practicing Fight BAC's! simple and easy safe food handling techniques to reduce the risk of foodborne illness when entertaining this holiday.

• CLEAN, wash hands and surfaces often;
• SEPARATE, don't cross-contaminate;
• COOK, cook to proper temperatures; and
• CHILL, refrigerate promptly.

When preparing buffets and party platters, be sure to practice these steps along with the tips below for a safe and BAC!teria-free holiday festivity.

• Always wash your hands with hot, soapy water before and after handling food. Keep your kitchen, dishes and utensils clean too. Clean up kitchen surfaces with a clean cloth or paper towels.
• Always serve food on clean plates - never put cooked food on plates that previously held raw meat, poultry or seafood. Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood away from fruits and vegetables so juices will not cross-contaminate foods.
• Cook foods thoroughly to safe temperatures. (Roast beef to 145°F for medium rare and 160°F for medium; whole poultry to 180°F, poultry breasts to 170°F and ground poultry to 165°F; all other meat, fish and ground red meats to 160°F)
• Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Hot foods can be kept hot with chafing dishes, crock pots and warming trays and should be 140°F or warmer. Cold foods can be kept cold by placing dishes in bowls of ice and should be 40°F or colder.
• Arrange and serve food on several small platters rather than one large tray. Replace empty platters rather than adding fresh food to a dish that has already been used.
• Don't let foods sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Keep track of how long foods have been sitting on the buffet table and discard anything left out for 2 hours or more.
• Promptly refrigerate and store all leftovers in small, shallow containers. Most cooked dishes can keep for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat thoroughly to 165°F when food is hot and steaming.