If you’re hosting a Super Bowl party on Sunday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants to make sure your food is prepped safely.
Food Safety Specialist Maura Drumm stresses the importance of cooking meat to the right temperature. “You can measure that through a food thermometer, and if you’re cooking things like burgers, any ground meat should be cooked to 160°F. Or if you’re cooking any poultry dishes such as wings, they should be cooked to 165°F.”
Drumm also reminds hosts to prioritize cleanliness. “We recommend before you prepare any food dishes that you wash your hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap. We also recommend washing your hands, any utensils or surfaces that come into contact with raw meat.”
Keeping raw meat separate from other foods is another key step. “We recommend that you use different cutting boards. So, having one for your raw meat and poultry and having a second for any ready-to-eat food such as vegetables or cheeses. And that makes sure that any of the juice from your raw meat doesn’t cross-contaminate with those ready-to-eat foods.”
For a full list of food safety tips, visit the USDA’s website.
