Tailgating – Great Memories vs Food Safety Accident Waiting to Happen

Football season is finally upon us, and with it come the ritualistic pre-game activities such as tailgating, pregame festivities, and awesome food.  Tailgating has become an American pastime and can be an all-day affair with many people getting to the ball field early to get the best spots and begin setting up the barbeques. Some people even begin their meat preparations a day or two before the actual gameday and turn it into an all-weekend affair. With the emphasis on family recipes, camaraderie, and many times a beer or two, food safety isn’t always in the forefront of everyone’s mind.

Remember, if you are making food ahead of game day, to ensure the vegetables are washed properly, ready-to-eat foods are stored separately from raw meats and kept cold. New trends in tailgating are forgoing the barbeques and including more sandwiches. If you are going the sandwich route, remember that if you are using cold cuts and mayonnaise-based spreads, that these need to be kept cold and should not be left out for any length of time.

If you are taking foods that are to be served hot, there are many options to choose from. Cooking the foods at the destination are a time-honored ritual. Serving hot foods such as macaroni and cheese, cheese dips, or meatballs, can easily be accomplished with crockpots and electric pressure cookers, as many vehicles now come equipped with AC outlets. Hot and cold packs can be used to control temperatures in route to the game. Lining coolers with hot or cold-packs, wrapping dishes in insulated materials, or even towels will help keep dishes warm or cold. Portable electric coolers are also a good choice, and many models can be used for either hot or cold foods. This is ideal for longer commutes. Remember, hot foods need to be kept hot and cold foods should always be kept cold.

Once you get the smokers and grills set up at the ball field, remember that you need to practice safe grilling by using a meat thermometer and ensuring that your meat is cooked to USDA recommended food-safe temperatures: 165°F for poultry and ground poultry, 145°F for beef, 160°F for ground meats and 145°F for pork. The full list can be found here: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/safe-temperature-chart .

Raw vegetables are always a good choice for game days, as they can be prepped ahead of time, eaten with dips or are great with hot wings. Raw vegetables should always be washed carefully prior to cutting and slicing to minimize the chance of bacterial contamination.

Packing the food back up before you head to the stadium is also something that should be done carefully, as people will want to grab a snack from the leftovers on the way home from the game. Always make sure that any coals used in grills are out, separation of foods to prevent cross contamination, and proper cooling and storage of foods, prior to being put into coolers, is observed.

With all the excitement that the big game generates, it is easy to ignore basic food safety rules. If you are watching the game at home, and you have a spread set up for your guests, please remember that food should not sit out for more than two hours, and preferably less time for cold foods. The same rules apply that work for barbeques and picnics. Keep cold foods on ice – especially mayonnaise-based foods such as potato salad or shrimp salad. Hot foods need to be kept warm by using crockpots or electric cookers that have a warm setting. It is always handy to have a few thermometers around, so that you can keep from cross contaminating foods while checking to ensure that the food is at the proper temperatures (under 40°F for refrigerated foods). If you are watching the game at home, consider serving foods that do not need heating or refrigeration prior to the start of the game, such as chips, popcorn, or nuts, and serving the hot and/or cold foods at half-time, so that the time they are sitting out is manageable. If you are having trouble deciding what foods to make, or you would like to try something new, check out Carlsbad Cravings at https://carlsbadcravings.com/top-game-day-recipes/ for some yummy recipes.

Tailgating can become a wonderful family tradition or an occasional fall weekend activity. Keeping these food safety tips in mind can help create fantastic memories of the game instead of recollections of being ill with a food-borne illness.  Stay safe, wash your hands, and remember to have fun while creating your own delicious recipes for the ball game.