Nutrition Hotline
By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
QUESTION: "I'm planning to host a vegan potluck and wondered if there were things that I should be aware of in terms of food safety." G.H., via e-mail
ANSWER: Great thinking — every year millions of people in the United States get sick from contaminated food. While we often think of chicken, mayonnaise, and other animal products as prime causes of food poisoning, bacteria also multiply in plant-based dishes. A few simple practices will help to keep your guests healthy.
As you prepare food for the potluck, be sure to wash your hands frequently, especially if you are going back and forth between food prep and other chores. If you're making a salad, or cutting up fruits and vegetables, wash the fruits and vegetables before cutting them. This helps to keep bacteria on the surface from being transferred to the cut part of the fruit on the knife used for cutting.
As you set up for the potluck, make sure you have plenty of serving utensils. Using a utensil for each dish avoids cross-contamination and reduces the risk of someone using their (unwashed) hands to pick through a bowl or plate of food. Serving dips and salsas with a serving spoon also discourages double-dipping.
Provide Post-its or index cards so your guests can list the ingredients in their dishes. This simple step is a huge help to people with food allergies or sensitivities. If you have guests with severe allergies, consider having one serving table that only has foods that don't contain the allergen — no nuts, for example. This reduces the risk of the serving spoon from the peanut noodles accidentally ending up in the nut-free rice salad.
Encourage your guests to reheat food as necessary when they arrive at the potluck. Foods that are to be served hot should be reheated rapidly to a temperature of 165 degrees or higher. Keep foods hot (at least 140 degrees) on the serving table by using slow cookers or chafing dishes. If you plan to socialize before eating, keep perishable foods like dips, salads, and spreads in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat.
Keep track of time; foods should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours, including transport time. If you can't refrigerate foods, discard anything perishable that has been out for more than two hours. Foods like bread and chips do not need to be discarded.
Of course, you can't control the food preparation practices of people attending your potluck, but the steps above will help to reduce the risks of food poisoning or allergic reactions for your guests.
