Most private events are not required to meet or provide the same level of scrutiny or health and safety standards that commercial food facilities must meet. You are therefore left to fend for yourself. Fear not. There are many things you as a guest can look out for when you attend or participate in a catered event, a large private party, picnic, barbecue etc. that can minimize your chances of contracting a food borne illness or food access.
Here's a short list of common sense observations and actions to consider and be alert method to:-Because much of the food at larger events is produced in bulk at another location, the single most common and significant problem you will and is temperature abuse. The warmer the units commonly used are chafing dishes with one or two small flames underneath.
It may be difficult to find, but look for hot foods to be steaming hot or hot to the touch and cold foods to have a definite feel cold.One way to limit the problem of temperature abuse is for everyone to eat as soon as they arrive at the event. Do not have or participate in other activities first. Most people who are brining food to an event are not a. to bring "the necessary equipment to maintain that food at its proper cold or hot temperature. This is especially for the events in which includes warm weather outside.Be very distrustful of large deep pots, bowls or containers of thick soups, stews, beans, etc. with a depth of 6 to 8 inches or more, unless you are sure these foods were just recently made i.e. that day. T
hese types of foods in deeper containers take a very long time to cool down and provide an ideal environment for the ubiquitous bacteria Clostridium perfrigens, commonly called the cafeteria cafeterias bug, since traditionally use these types of pots and pans to contain foods in large batches.
In addition to the deep pots, there are other foods whose I am just more wary of at private events. These include those dishes that took the most time and processing or handling button efforts to contain, and are supposed to be kept cold. Cold salads such as chicken, potato, egg or seafood are good examples. Cooking at least squares kills most pathogenic microorganisms, whereas cold, refrigeration temperatures only slow the growth. I tend to choose only those foods that are cooked and served hot recently.
Look for undercooked meat, poultry, egg products and especially in seafood salads and meats from the barbeque. Because the meat in the salad is cooked or processed separately in many instances (probably for culinary reasons), it is not always thoroughly cooked. Also, anyone who has ever barbecued knows that unless you are well familiar with the practiced and barbeque you are using, it is difficult to get the meat just right. The barbecue is generally not as efficient in producing heat and cooking evenly as compared to a stove or oven. It is very easy to either over or under cook the foods. Even the big expensive barbecues, with extra insulation and gadgets you see out today still take practice to get it right.
The barbeque is especially susceptible to cross-contamination. The person cooking at the barbecue can be easily distracted during an event or may not have brought separate utensils, plates, etc to handle the raw versus cooked meats. Another way to cross contaminate is with marinades. The same marinade used to saturate the raw meats is then basted onto the meat during the final moments of cooking. A big No No. This marinade could very likely be a microorganism soup depending on the conditions the temperature was maintained while marinating meat.
It can't hurt also to take into consideration the person who made the food, if you are able. What is their history of making this dish serving some and they are fairly educated on food safety practices? Did they make an effort to keep the food hot or cold while it was being transported, the is displayed and served?
One last tip at a private event-If you see any of the conditions or situations noted above, especially temperature problems and you have a choice between foods prepared at someones home versus foods coming from a known local restaurant, I would recommend choosing the food prepared at the restaurantOf course, diplomatically. Even though there are many ignorant food handlers, cooks, chefs at restaurants etc,they are at least squares experienced in producing their food everyday and more likely know its potential hazards during preparation. They are also regularly inspected for compliance with health and safety regulations and standards, unlike the private home kitchen. Chow.
You can still learn more on http://www.nichd.nih.gov/ and http://www.foodsafety.gov/
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