Holiday Buffets Run on the Two-Hour Rule: Hot Food at 140 Degrees or Above, Cold Food at 40 or Below, Discard After Two Hours Out
Entertaining is a mainstay of the holiday season, and a home buffet can be creative and safe at the same time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says in its Serving Up Safe Buffets guidance, which reduces the rules to a few measurable numbers so early and late guests alike eat food held safely.
Start with size. If you are not sure how quickly food will be eaten, keep serving portions small, prepare a number of small platters ahead of time, and replace serving dishes with fresh ones through the party rather than adding new food to an already filled dish, because bacteria from guests' hands can contaminate food and multiply at room temperature. Keep cold backups in the refrigerator and hot dishes in an oven set at 200 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit before serving.
Temperature is the second line: hot foods should be kept at an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer, checked with a food thermometer and held in chafing dishes, slow cookers or warming trays, with a warning that some warmers hold food only at 110 to 120 degrees, so labels should be checked for the capability to hold 140 degrees or warmer. Cold foods should be kept at 40 degrees or colder, refrigerated until serving time, and if cold food will sit on the buffet table longer than two hours, plates of cold food should be placed on ice. Egg dishes such as quiches or soufflés may be refrigerated for later serving but should be reheated thoroughly to 165 degrees before serving.
Then the clock: discard any perishables left out at room temperature for more than two hours unless they are being kept hot or cold, and if the room is above 90 degrees, the safe holding time drops to one hour. Leftovers sent home with guests should be refrigerated as soon as they arrive home, and within two hours. (Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：一桌感恩节晚餐。Wikimedia Commons 图片。 / Photo: A Thanksgiving dinner table. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
