Healthy Switches to Make to Prevent Food Poisoning

 Posted on September 03, 2017 in Food poisoning attorney

Next time you host an event, whether you prepare the food yourself or have it catered, make food choices that will stand up to the environment in which you serve them. Buffet-style is generally the most practical choice for serving a large crowd of people at a social event, but it is not perfect. When food is served buffet-style in large dishes or on sternos, it can easily enter the danger zone of 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature range where harmful bacteria can easily grow.

To reduce your guests' risk of developing food poisoning after eating at your event, make the following switches. There is no way to guarantee that food poisoning will not happen, but there are ways to reduce the chance of it happening.

Instead of a Pre-Cut Fruit or Veggie Platter, Cut Them Yourself

With pre-cut fruit salads and vegetable platters, the risk of contamination comes from the many different handlers the produce had between the farm and your serving table. Cut out a few steps by purchasing your produce whole and cutting it yourself. Be sure to wash it thoroughly before you begin cutting and plating your platters.

It is also in your best interest to avoid “raw,” unpasteurized fruit juices at your event. Stick to packaged, pasteurized mixers for your bar to cut down on the risk of food poisoning.

Choose Steamed or Grilled Mollusks, Not Raw

Shellfish can harbor various types of harmful bacteria. To reduce your guests' chance of contracting this bacteria and becoming ill from consuming mollusks at your party, prepare steamers or cook your clams on the grill. Raw shellfish on the halfshell can be dangerous, and as waters around the world grow warmer, the risk of shellfish food poisoning is becoming greater.

Skip the Steak Tartare and Cook Your Meat Thoroughly

Consuming raw and undercooked beef can put an individual at risk of contracting E.Coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter. If you are grilling at your next event, be sure to cook all poultry products to well done and all beef to at least medium well. This will kill any lurking bacteria.

Instead of Cheese Spreads, do Salsas and Jams

Soft cheeses like brie and cottage cheese are popular for spreading on crackers, but they can harbor dangerous bacteria if they are kept out too long. Switch out the soft cheeses for spreads that are less likely to harbor harmful bacteria, like a fresh salsa or a fruit jam.

Work with an Experienced Itasca Food Poisoning Lawyer

If you or a loved one have suffered from food poisoning because of another party's negligence, consider working with an experienced personal injury lawyer to pursue a food poisoning claim. To learn more about this process and your rights, contact our team of food poisoning lawyers at Newland & Newland, LLP today to set up your initial consultation in our office. We serve clients in the Arlington Heights, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Libertyville, Mundelein, Buffalo Grove, Schaumburg, Elk Grove, and Itasca areas.

(image courtesy of Nick Karvounis)