Tips for a safe Super Bowl party

4:51 p.m., Jan. 26, 2007--On Super Bowl Sunday, Americans will gobble 8 million pounds of guacamole, 15,000 tons of chips, 4,500 tons of popcorn and much, much more. In fact, Super Bowl Sunday is the second largest day for food consumption in the United States--right behind Thanksgiving.

But before you mix up a batch of your party-pleasing chili or those extra-hot chicken wings, make sure you're playing it safe in the kitchen. Some simple precautions can dramatically reduce the risk of food-borne illness, according to Sue Snider, a food safety specialist with UD Cooperative Extension.

"Don't get careless about food safety in the rush of preparing for a party," Snider said. "Every year about 13 million people in the U.S. become ill from harmful bacteria in food; of these, about 5,000 die. But food-borne illness is preventable,” she said.

Snider offers this advice on keeping your party foods safe:

Size matters--Not sure how quickly the food will get eaten? Prepare a number of small platters ahead of time. Store cold back-up dishes in the refrigerator and hot dishes in the oven (set at 200 to 250 degrees F). Late-arriving guests will enjoy safe, fresh dishes, just like the early arrivals;
Take temperatures--Cooked hot foods should be kept at 140 degrees F or warmer. Use a food thermometer to check;
Chill out--Cold foods should be kept at 40 degrees F or colder. Refrigerate cold foods until serving time. If food is going to stay on the buffet table longer than two hours, put bowls or plates in ice to retain the chill;
Keep it fresh--It can be unsafe to add new food to a serving dish that already contains food. People's hands may have touched the food, which has been sitting out at room temperature. Instead, replace empty or half-empty platters with new, freshly filled ones; and
Watch the clock--Don't leave perishable food out at room temperature for more than two hours unless you've taken measures to keep the food sufficiently cold or hot.

For more information, visit [http://ag.udel.edu/extension/fnutri/foodsafety.htm].

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