Celebrate safely.

No matter what kind of party you’re hosting, food safety should always have a seat at the table. These recommendations can help you pull off the perfect meal to mark the occasion.

Prepping.

• Take inventory of your kitchen. Make sure you have a food thermometer and enough containers, serving utensils, warming trays, coolers, and ice to avoid cross contamination and to keep foods at their proper temperatures.
• Keep hands, utensils, and surfaces clean while preparing food.
• When reheating food:
  • Make sure the internal temperature of the dish reaches at least 165°F on a food thermometer.
  • Use a stovetop, oven, or microwave. Chafing dishes and slow cookers are not recommended because they may not heat food within two hours to avoid the growth of bacteria.
• If you’re celebrating away from home and transporting food:
  • Keep cold foods cold (below 40°F) by storing them in a cooler with plenty of ice packs.
  • Keep hot foods hot (above 140°F) by wrapping them well and storing them in an insulated container.

Serving.

• If you’re serving foods that contain allergens, label them so guests know what is safe for them to eat. Common allergens include milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, soybeans, wheat, fish, and shellfish. You can learn more about food allergies, their signs and symptoms, and what to do if someone experiences an allergic reaction here.
• Use different serving utensils for each dish to avoid cross contamination.
• Make sure foods stay at safe temperatures to slow the growth of bacteria:
  • Keep hot foods above 140°F by placing them in chafing dishes or on warming trays.
  • Keep cold foods below 40°F by placing their containers in pans or bowls filled with ice.
• Rather than adding new food to a partially empty tray, replace the tray with a fresh one.

Storing.

• Throw away perishable foods that have been at room temperature for over two hours, or in temperatures greater than 90°F for one hour.
• Refrigerate or freeze leftovers in shallow containers.
• If guests go home with perishable leftovers, they should make sure to refrigerate the food within two hours or as soon as they arrive home.

Want to add an extra special touch to your next celebration? We’re here to help. For birthdays, anniversaries, and everything in between, we have crowd-pleasing recipes, beautiful bouquets, and showstopping desserts to make each milestone even more memorable.

Get inspired

Sources

Cooking for Groups: A Volunteer’s Guide to Food Safety. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Last updated September 2011.

Serving Up Safe Buffets. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Last updated March 5, 2024.