How to send your friends home healthy - Food Safety - Brief Article

There are plenty of things to worry about when you go to a party: overdoing the hooch, getting caught with your eyes on the wrong woman's cleavage, having to dance to The Very Best of Abba. But it turns out that what you should really beware of is the food. When British researchers examined data on almost 5,000 intestinal-disease outbreaks in the 1990s, they discovered that most were caused by salmonella in food eaten at social functions such as parties or barbecues. Food-safety experts note that parties are especially likely sources of food poisoning because cooks aren't used to preparing food for so many people, because their attention is taken away by other aspects of the party, or because food is left out too long at room temperature.

IF YOU'RE throwing a shindig and want your guests to go home with happy memories instead of the runs, follow these tips from the American Dietetic Association:

* Wash your hands in warm, soapy water for 20 seconds before preparing any food and after handling raw meat, poultry, eggs or seafood. Dry with paper towels or clean cloth towels. Also, clean all countertops, appliances, cutting boards and utensils with hot, soapy water. Disinfect sponges in a bleach solution, or just throw them out.

* Never let ready-to-eat foods come in contact with anything--including plates, utensils, cutting boards, or countertops--that has touched raw meat without cleaning them first.

* Cook all foods thoroughly; use a meat thermometer for meat and poultry.

* Don't leave food out for more than two hours, or one hour in hot weather. If you can't refrigerate within this time period, toss the leftovers.

* Our hard-learned addition: Cook first, drink later.