Do not get tricked by unwanted bacteria that can make you sick. Avoid uninvited bugs that can ruin your party. Here are food safety tips to have a Happy Halloween!
Tips for Parents Before Treat-or-Trick:
- Children should not snack while out trick-or-treating. Give them a snack or light meal before going out.
- Tell children not to accept--and, especially, not to eat--anything that is not commercially wrapped.
Trick-or-Treating Food Safety Tips:
- Trick-or-treaters should wait until they get home and their parents can check their candy before they eat
- Discard homemade treats unless it is from someone you know
- Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.
- Discard any goodies with open or torn wrapping
Consider alternative treats to give:
- packages of low-fat crackers with cheese or peanut butter
- packaged fruit leather
- mini boxes of raisins
- packages of hot chocolate mix
- microwaveable popcorn
What to serve at a Halloween party:
- If having food catered, make sure you are working with a reputable caterer and have properly working chafing dishes to keep hot food hot
- Keep hot foods hot at a safe temperature of 140 of or above.
- Keep cold foods cold. Make sure there is plenty of room in your refrigerator to store cold food before, during and after the party The refrigerator should be 40 F or cooler to prevent bacterial growth.
- If the refrigerator is too crowded, store and cool drinks in coolers with ice.
- If juice or cider is served to children at Halloween parties, make sure it is pasteurized or otherwise treated to destroy harmful bacteria. Juice or cider that has not been treated will say so on the label.
What food to bring to a Halloween party:
- Keep cold food cold, and hot food hot.
- Choose simple dishes that can be put in a cooler filled with ice or frozen gel packages.
- Any foods that have been cooked ahead of time and need to be reheated like meatballs and chicken wings need to be heated to 165degrees in a microwave oven.
- Fresh vegetables should be washed well before serving
FURTHER INFORMATION:
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Services
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/index.asp
US Food and Drug Administration
http://www.fda.gov/default.htm
Contact your local County Extension Office for questions on this or any other Food Safety questions or contact your Regional Extension Agent in Food Safety Angela Treadaway at 205-410-3696.
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities), is an equal opportunity employer and educator. Everyone is welcome!