Make Sure Your Tailgate Party Is A Safe One

It's time for football. Whether prep, college or pros, die hard football fans get their fix for the next few months. That also means in many cases tailgating, whether at the stadium field, even the comfort of a backyard.  Yet, as you USDA food safety expert Meredith Carothers reminds us. 

“Tailgates for sports events are a lot bigger in the fall, but there are still concerts and things happening that people tailgate for.  There would be little charcoal grills right at the bed of a truck, cooking burgers and hot dogs and stuff.” 

Food Safety Should Be A Focus All Season Long

So regardless of venue or event anytime a tailgate is covered in your plans, food safety needs to be included for starters.

“As you're preparing to go to a tailgate and preparing your food and what menu you're going to have and what you're going to set up, taking into account how far it is that you're driving and transporting food safely,” Carothers noted.  “So, considering putting your raw burgers, your hot dogs, cheese lettuce, and other fixings and other perishables into a cooler, with either ice or cold sources.” 

Two Hours Is The Time Limit

To keep perishable food from being exposed to room temperature for more than two-hours, no more than one hour on extremely hot days and increasing foodborne bacteria within items. 

“Because especially if you're using a charcoal grill, or something like that, those take a bit to actually warm up, so you have to factor in the drive time, the setup time and back and sometimes that can be a few hours before you actually are throwing your burgers onto your charcoal grill,” Carothers said.  “So, cooler with ice is very important or cooler with cold sources to keep your foods cold is very important.” 

Combining the separate and chill aspects of food safety: 

“You have a separate beverage cooler so that way you're avoiding any risk of cross contamination of meat and poultry products,” Carothers said.  “But then also because it's likely that the beverage cooler will be opened more frequently.” 

Perishable food items, whether grilled or made in a slow cooker, or cut fruit and veggies, need to be at proper temperatures to prevent foodborne bacteria. 

“If you want to go past that one-hour or two-hour rule, you could nestle cold items in a bowl of ice that will help keep them cold and out of safe temperature while they're out for that length of time.  Or if things need to be put into something like a slow cooker or a warming tray, or a chafing dish that are going to help keep that food hot, and above 140°F, for however long you want to serve them for.” 

What To Do With Left Overs

And what to do with any chili queso dip or leftover slow cooker fare? 

“Pack up for the tailgate, turning that slow cooker off and putting all of that leftover stuff in the slow cooker into containers to put in a cooler to keep it cool throughout the duration of your events that you've been tailgating before if you want to save the leftovers.” 

Carothers added for more tips call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at (888) MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or e-mail MPHotline@usda.gov. 

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