Tailgating season is here: Expert offers tips to prevent foodborne illnesses

Tailgating season has arrived as college football officially returned to the gridiron one week ago.

Before you jump up and down to “Enter Sandman” or belt out “Welcome to the Jungle,” you should make sure your tailgate food doesn’t spoil the fun for any of your guests as you fuel up to root on your team.

A Virginia Tech expert cautions, no matter what school you are cheering on, if you take food on the road, safety can be a challenge.

As you make preparations for your tailgate, keep in mind that more than 3,000 deaths and 128,000 hospitalizations occur annually due to foodborne illness.

Food safety specialist Melissa Wright offers some advice to make sure your party isn’t ruined by foodborne illness.

“One of the biggest food safety issues people run into at tailgates is related to transporting and handling food,” said Wright. “The danger zone is between 40 degrees and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, and allowing hot or cold food to be in that zone for longer than two hours can allow bacteria to multiply rapidly, leading to foodborne illness.”

When it’s hot outside, the window can be even less.

“The same guidance extends to serving food as well as transporting it,” Wright said. “You want to keep hot foods hot and cold foods like coleslaw and potato salad cold, so keep the crockpot on while serving meatballs and sausages and keep dips and cold spreads on ice.”

Wright said wrapping cooked foods and their containers in aluminum foil or towels can help keep their temperature up.

According to John Hopkins University, food poisoning symptoms often start days after eating contaminated food, but symptoms can start any time from 30 minutes to three weeks after eating the spoiled food. The length of time depends on the type of bacteria or virus causing the illness.

Handling raw meat at the tailgate

Cross-contamination between raw meat and other food is another way foodborne bacteria can spread.

“It’s a good idea to use separate coolers for raw meats and ready-to-eat foods that won’t be cooked,” Wright said. “Make sure raw proteins, including seafood, are packaged in sealed containers and kept in an insulated cooler below 40 degrees prior to cooking.”

She said to pack extra cutting boards and tongs so you don’t have to use the same utensils for raw meat and cooked foods. She also suggests bringing a food thermometer.

“You never want raw meat to come into contact with cooked meat,” Wright said. “Ground beef needs to reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees and all poultry needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees to be safe.”

Additional tailgating tips from Wright

• Practice good hand hygiene, which might be as simple as packing a water jug, soap and paper towels
• Use disposable tablecloths
• Use a dedicated cooler for beverages because that cooler tends to be opened frequently as guests grab drinks throughout the tailgate
• Marinate meats under refrigeration (less than 40 degrees) and discard the excess