FOOD SAFETY FOR LARGE GROUPS - Cooking and serving food to large groups can pose health risks if certain precautions aren't practiced. Such was the case last November when more than 150 people became ill after consuming Jambalaya at a fundraiser. Louisiana Health Officials investigated and discovered the Jambalaya had two foodborne pathogens Salmonella and Clostridium Perfringins which caused the illness. Family celebrations, tailgate parties and upcoming Mardi Gras events mean more people preparing and serving food to large groups. With that in mind, we turn to Food Safety Expert - Wennie Xu with the LSU-Agcenter in Baton Rouge for some helpful tips on avoiding foodborne illness.
She explains " Salmonella is normally associated with poultry and egg products, clostridium prefringins is normally associated with raw meat and poutlry as well." Wennie adds, "it can be challenging to cook for more people than you normally do but people need to remember four steps: CLEAN your fresh produce, counter-tops and utensils. And wash your hands. SEPARATE to prevent cross-contamination so you have separate cutting boards, utensils, so you don't put your raw meat on top of your fresh produce. And COOK your food to the proper temperature so you should always use a thermometer. And the last one is CHILL, always put your food away in refrigerator before being left out for 2 hours. "
The LSU-AgCenter offers Food Safety Preparation Courses for people interested in learning how to cook safely for large groups. Or if you'd like more information on food safety, go to their website: LSUAgCenter.com and search Food Safety.
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