SAFETY TIPS Steps For A Food-Safe Halloween Part (NAPSA)—Are you planning on throwing a Halloween party for a group of your favorite ghosts and 74 goblins? Here are some easy steps from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service to help you and your guests be food safe and have a happy Halloween: Wash your hands with hot soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling food. Keep your kitchen, dishes and utensils clean. Always use clean serving dishes for food to prevent crosscontamination from raw food products to food products that are ready to eat. *Use a food thermometer to ensure that hot foods are cooked to safe minimum internal temperatures to kill harmful bacteria. *Keep hot food hot and cold food cold. Hot food should be kept at a safe temperature of 140 F or above. Cold food should be held at 40 F or below to prevent bacterial growth. Follow the 2-Hour Rule: Food should not be left out at room temperature for more than two hours. Discard anything on the buffet that has been out at room temperature for two hours or more. If you are planning on serving juice or cider to children at your Halloween party, be sure to check the label to make sure it is pasteurized or otherwise treated to destroy harmful bacteria. eIf you plan to use dry ice to Parents should inspect their youngsters’ trick-or-treat trove for hazards before letting chil- dren eatanyofit. create a spooky fog effect for a cauldron of witch’s brew, don’t put the dry ice in your drink. Chips of dry ice can cause severe injury if ingested. *Inspect Halloween treats for hazardsbefore letting children eat any. Safe Halloween snacks should be commercially wrapped and free of signs of tampering, such as unusual appearance or tiny pinholes and tears in wrappers. Remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies or small toys. You can get more food safety tips to have a safe and happy Halloween at the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Website, www.fsis.usda.gov, or call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-6746854).
