How To Prevent Bacteria From Ruining Your Bash

Welcome to the holiday season! If you’re the proprietor of a restaurant or catering service, then you already know this is a time for large parties where your food services are requested. While these gatherings are a success 99 percent of the time, there is always that one percent chance someone could get sick due to poor food handling.

Make sure your employees are trained this holiday season with a Texas food handler card through Certified On The Fly! Here are some quick tips to consider while you get your team enrolled.

 

Label Foods With Allergy Potential

Allergies are something that should always be an important aspect of your services. You never know when someone is going to have a common or uncommon reaction to food, and in a party setting, there just isn’t the time to explain what ingredients are in every dish to anyone who asks.

If you are serving something high in dairy, nuts, or even have a gluten-free option available, let your guests know. Post a sign near the names of your foods and warn them of the possible allergy risks within the dishes.

 

Keep Store-Bought Foods Cold

Sometimes you may need to pick up a cold cut platter or salad for the parties you are catering too. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you just need to make sure you keep these foods cold. One of our tips for platters that plan on staying out for the duration of the night is to fill the cover of the tray with ice and place the platter on top.

This will keep the food cool and provide a simple way to tell your servers when it’s time for a refresher once the ice begins to melt. Keeping your cold cuts cold will help prevent the quick spread of bacteria that can occur within the short timeframe of a couple of hours.

 

Rotate Food Platters

Also in the vein of preventing foodborne illness, make sure all of your servings are fresh by cooking the food and serving it on smaller plates in two-hour increments. Even at room temperature, foods build up bacteria and can cause illnesses to sneak up on guests.

While your guests are enjoying the current plates, you would already have the extra servings chilled, and simply heat them up or serve them directly when it’s time to switch them out with fresh servings.

 

Don’t Dip Into the Dough

Yes, we know it’s tempting to try cookie dough and baked dish batters before they go in the oven. While it may seem like a fun idea at the time, we guarantee the potential salmonella you could contract from this taste test isn’t.

 

Keep Bacteria Away Year-Round With a Food Handler’s Certification

Don’t let a festive occasion turn into a food poisoning nightmare. Have your team prepared and ready for whatever may come your way with the help of Certified On The Fly. Create a Student or Employer account and make certification a part of the job. Enroll today in Spanish or English to ensure the holidays remain happy in 2019!

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