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From FoodSafety.gov

Super Bowl Sunday is a great American tradition, and a great way to bring together the three Fs: football, friends, and food. Super Bowl Sunday is also the second biggest day to consume food in the United States, only after Thanksgiving.

One of the most popular ways to celebrate is by inviting family and friends to enjoy a buffet. But if cold foods are left out of refrigeration and hot foods sit cooling for too long, you may be leaving the door open for some other, unwanted, guests – bacteria that can cause food poisoning.

Certain foods left at room temperature for more than two hours enter the so called “Danger Zone,” between 40°F and 140°F. The “Danger Zone” is the perfect environment for harmful bacteria to grow and multiply. Because the game itself takes about four hours and Super Bowl parties can last for several hours longer it’s important to pay special attention to this on game day.

A lot of food combined with a lot of people who are focused on the big game creates a significant risk of food poisoning – so there’s no better time to pullout the food safety playbook and Check Your Steps.

Always wash your hands before and after handling food.

Your jersey may have grass stains from the impromptu game in the backyard, but be sure to keep your kitchen, dishes and utensils clean by washing them with hot, soapy water.

Keep raw meat and poultry apart from cooked foods. 

Avoid an offsides penalty. Always serve food on clean plates — not any that previously held raw meat and poultry. Bacteria which may have been present in raw meat juices can cross- contaminate the cooked food to be served.

Cook foods thoroughly to safe minimum internal temperatures. 

Use a food thermometer to make sure that meat and poultry are safely cooked.

Divide cooked foods into shallow containers to store in the refrigerator or freezer until serving. This encourages rapid, even cooling. Reheat hot foods to 165 °F after halftime.

Arrange and serve food on several small platters rather than on one large platter. Keep the rest of the food hot in the oven (set at 200-250 °F) or cold in the refrigerator until serving time. This way, foods will be held at a safe temperature for a longer period of time.

Replace empty platters rather than adding fresh food to a dish that already had food in it. Many people’s hands may have been taking food from the dish, which has also been sitting out at room temperature.

Keep cold foods at 40 °F or colder. 

Keep foods cold by nesting dishes in bowls of ice. Otherwise, use small serving trays and replace them.

Remember to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

For more information, view our Parties and Large Groups general information page.

If you have other food safety questions, please feel free to contact us via our Hotline (1-888-674-6854 toll-free) or online at AskKaren.gov (English or Spanish). Please continue the discussion on our Facebook page.

Enjoy the game!

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and is estimated to be responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year.

You can’t see, smell, or taste radon—it’s a radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon can be present outdoors and in any type of building, but you’re likely to get the most exposure to radon in your own home.

To help protect your health, you can test your home for radon and take measures to lower radon levels if needed.

By: Dr. Peggy Honein, CDC’s Birth Defects Branch Chief

Did you know that every 4 ½ minutes a baby in the United States is born with a major birth defect? January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about birth defects and of the steps that can be taken to prevent them. While not all birth defects can be prevented, there are things you can do to get ready for a healthy pregnancy.

• In addition to eating a healthy diet, be sure to consume 400 micrograms of folic acid every day before and during early pregnancy.
• See a health care professional regularly. Talk to them about taking any medicine, including prescription and over-the counter medicines and dietary or herbal supplements, and take only what is needed. Talk to your health care provider before starting or stopping any medication.
• Work to get health conditions, like diabetes, in control before becoming pregnant, and keep them in good control during pregnancy.
• Try to reach and maintain a healthy weight before becoming pregnant.
• Avoid alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy.

Managing health conditions and adopting healthy behaviors before becoming pregnant is important, because many birth defects happen very early during pregnancy, sometimes before a woman even knows she is pregnant. Take care of yourself today for a healthy baby tomorrow.

Find more information about birth defects and educational and promotional materials for National Birth Defects Prevention Month.