Tiny Details for Your Big Day: 4 Simple Ways to Avoid Food Poisoning

If your guests get sick from eating something that wasn’t properly prepared, it can leave a dark mark on one of your happiest days.

With that in mind, here are four simple ways to avoid food poisoning and the embarrassment of having your invitees suffer stomach trouble.

Food safety begins with your caterer. If they prepare food offsite to bring to your venue, they need a way to safely get it there. When interviewing potential contractors, ask them how they ensure cold foods remain below 40 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent bacterial growth.

Furthermore, make sure they have separate containers and coolers for each dish. Otherwise, products could become cross-contaminated, endangering your guests with food allergies.

If you followed a strict budget, your reception venue might not have a fully stocked kitchen. Please allow your caterer to tour the facility before your event so that they can determine what they will need to bring with them.

Doing so could help protect you from a costly lawsuit. Individual food poisoning cases are tricky because it’s challenging to trace the illness to a specific cause. However, if multiple guests who attended your reception get sick, they could win a settlement in court.

Buffets can save you money. Additionally, they give guests greater freedom to choose their meals, but they present additional food poisoning hazards.

Ensure that your venue monitors food temperature via a thermometer to ensure that cold foods stay chilled and hot ones sufficiently warm. Provide ample supplies of silverware and serving utensils to prevent cross-contamination. Limit the time frame that hot foods sit out to no more than one hour.

What if you are planning a backyard reception? If so, you are responsible for food safety, so please follow these tips:

• Grill to the proper temperature:Please use a food thermometer to ensure poultry reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, burgers to 160 and steaks, chops and seafood to 145.
• Keep cold food chilled:Provide adequate coolers and don’t leave perishable foods sitting out for longer than two hours.
• Provide hand-washing facilities:Ensure you keep your bathroom well-stocked. Additionally, you may wish to establish a hand-washing station outdoors to avoid long lines before mealtime.

You don’t want your guests to remember your wedding as the day they got sick. Use these four simple methods to avoid food poisoning.