Safe holiday potlucks

December 13, 2004 (Updated December, 2007)
Carol Ann Burtness
University of Minnesota Extension Regional Extension Educator, Food Science
E-Mail: burtn002@umn.edu

Potluck is defined as “whatever may chance to be in the pot, or may be provided for a meal.” Sometimes what is in the pot turns into a “24-hour bug” or “stomach flu” and may actually be a foodborne illness. The illness can be avoided if holiday potluck foods are handled properly.

To make your holiday potluck a success, be aware of popular food and food handling myths:

• MYTH: If it smells good and tastes okay, it must be good. WRONG! Bacteria that causes many foodborne illnesses does not change the taste, smell or appearance of food. Bacteria love to grow in ideal conditions when the food temperature is in the "danger zone" (between 40 and 140 degrees F.). If the food is too hot or too cold for bacteria to grow, it is safe. Food that will be served hot should be kept refrigerated until ready to serve. Then, it should be reheated to 165 degrees F. and kept hot (above 140 degrees F.). Food should not be left at room temperature or in the "danger zone" for more than 2 hours.
• MYTH: The food is cooked, so it won’t spoil. WRONG! Cooked food held for more than 2 hours without refrigeration or a heat source is in the ideal environment for bacteria to grow and multiply. This is true for protein-rich foods such as meat, chicken and egg dishes (e.g. grilled chicken wings, pumpkin cheesecake, eggnog, ribs, etc.).
• MYTH: My kitchen is clean and I always wash my hands so the food I brought could not make anyone sick. WRONG! Your food may have been safe when it left your kitchen, but how was it handled after it arrived at the potluck? Unsafe time and temperature practices can make it unsafe. Hot and cold food can become harmful if they sit on the buffet table from noon until 5:00 p.m. If food will not be eaten within the 2-hour safety zone, provide a controlled environment. Set containers of cold foods in a large pan of crushed ice to keep them cold during serving. Keep hot foods hot by using sterno, slow cookers or chafing dishes. Keep covers on the food to keep the food hot or cold. Serve cooked food in several small containers rather than in huge platters or bowls. When the small serving containers are empty, REPLACE them rather than add fresh food to a dish that held food.
• MYTH: No bacteria could possibly live in my eggnog with all that rum and bourbon. WRONG! Eggnog should never be made with raw eggs and the addition of alcohol will not kill the Salmonella bacteria that may be in the uncooked egg-rich food. Use pasteurized eggs or egg substitutes or heat the egg mixture in a double-boiler to 160 degrees. Commercial eggnog is pasteurized to proper temperatures.

Keep your holiday potluck celebration safe. Happy Holidays!