USDA Offers Food Safety Tips for a Clean Game during Super Bowl LV – Keeping Fans Safe from Foodborne Illness
Avoid personal fouls and unnecessary roughness on your digestive system! Whether cooking at home or ordering in always remember these four steps: Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill. Whether your Super Bowl traditions include ordering pizza, frying wings or cooking your favorite munchies from scratch, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) wants all football fans to remember to follow safe food handling rules during the big game. You might be a seasoned pro when it comes to feeding the masses for a night of Big Game action or you may be a rookie. It doesn't matter the food safety rules are the same:
·Wash hands effectively
·Do not wash raw poultry
·Use a food thermometer to check cooking temperatures
·Follow the four steps to food safety
·Be safe with takeout food
·Store leftovers properly (the 2-hour rule)
Each year millions of Americans get sick from foodborne illness – commonly called food poisoning or a stomach bug. These illnesses result in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To avoid foodborne illness and keep your household safe during the big game, remember the four simple steps for preparing any meal: clean, separate, cook and chill. USDA has food safety coaches ready to help you score a touchdown in the kitchen this Super Bowl Sunday. Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at (1-888-674-6854) Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, or email or chat at Ask USDA. These experts will share top tips for safe food preparation for your gathering and rules on how to prevent dangerous foodborne illness. They'll help your form your Super Bowl Food "Game Plan" with ideas on what to serve during the Pregame Show, Kickoff, Halftime, Second half and Postgame. Plus you can learn takeout/delivery food safety tips, the basics to safely serving hot and cold dishes, storing leftoversand keeping your prep area clean and germ free. Just go to FoodSafety.gov, Ask USDA and the Meat and Poultry Hotline.