The following is a list of steps to guide you in having a safe holiday party.

1. Plan ahead. You will probably need extra refrigeration and freezer space. Prepared party platters from a deli will require refrigeration until serving time. Do not plan to leave meats or salads in a car or on a porch, even if it is cold outside. If you have an extra refrigerator or freezer, be sure that they are working properly before going shopping. The temperature of the refrigerator should be 45^oF. and the freezer should be at 0^oF. It is best to limit the amount of perishable food you will be serving to what you can handle safely.

2. Purchase only commercially made food or fresh raw ingredients. Shop for the food on, or as close to, the day of the party as possible. Take refrigerated or frozen food home immediately for storage. Keep hot, ready-to-eat food hot until serving time, or chill and reheat.

3. Prepare food as close to serving time as possible. Once food has been cooked, it should be kept hot until it is served. To keep hot food hot, use chafing dishes with lids or put the hot food in the oven at 225^oF. until serving time. Some food such as potato salad, would need to be prepared several hours ahead so that it will be cold when served. When planning your menu, consider the amount of work and time it will take to safely prepare and serve the food. Purchasing commercially made items that are ready-to-serve or just reheat can save you time.

4. Serve the hot food hot and the cold food cold. If you will serve the food buffet style, and you do not have the equipment to keep the food at the proper temperatures, limit the serving time to two hours. If the serving time is longer than two hours, remove and discard the perishable food that has been sitting out at room temperature, and replace it with a fresh batch.

5. Leftovers are often sent home with the guests. If you plan to make "care packages" of perishable food, refrigerate it immediately after serving. Before "gifting" someone with perishable leftover food, consider the amount of time the food was out for serving, and how long it will take for the guest to arrive home. If perishable food has been held between the temperatures of 45^oF.-140^oF. for over two hours, it should not be saved. Non-perishables such as cookies and pastries travel much better than cold cuts and salads.

AND DON'T FORGET

1. Wash your hands with hot soapy water before starting all food preparation and serving activities. Also, wash your hands frequently during preparation steps, especially if you switch from working with a raw product to a product that does not require cooking.

2. Provide enough serving utensils, especially at buffet tables. Never reuse a utensil, especially a cutting board that has touched raw meat or unwashed vegetables, to prepare or serve food that is ready-to-eat.

3. Plan ahead if you need to bring perishable food to a distant location. The safest way is to purchase or prepare the food at the serving location after you arrive. If this is not possible, you should keep hot food above 140^oF. and cold food below 45^oF. untill it is served. It is easier to transport food cold. Precooking, chilling, and reheating a hot dish once you arrive is one way to safely transport perishable food. Insulated containers and cold packs should be able to keep food cold for short travel distances. Putting food in the trunk of the car does not guarantee it will remain cold.

For more information, contact the FDA Web site at http://www.fightbac.org/consumers/.