Myth: I don’t have to worry about food safety at tailgates - the food won’t be around long enough to spoil.

Answer: BUSTED!

Fall and football season are here. What game is complete without a tailgate party? But while you’re watching the end zone, your food could end up in the “danger zone” of 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Perishable foods should be eaten within 2 hours, or 1 hour if the outside temperature is above 90 degrees F, which will cause bacteria to grow faster. Here are some tips to keep your tailgate food safe.

Pre-cooking

• Interrupted cooking is very risky. It’s not a good idea to partially pre-cook and finish on the grill later.
• If you do cook the meat before heading to the game, be sure to cook it thoroughly and allow plenty of time for it to cool before packing it in the cooler. Store perishable foods at or below 40 degrees F.
• Make sure the meat is cooked thoroughly and reaches a safe internal temperature when reheated.

Grilling

• To grill safely, make sure the grill is ready and that the coals are very hot before cooking food. This can take 30 minutes or longer.
• Coals should have a light coating of grey ash for optimal heat.
• Thoroughly cook all meat and poultry. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the temperature has reached a safe internal temperature.
• To assure meat is safe, cook hamburgers and brats to 160 F and chicken breast to 165 F.
• Always make sure to wash your hands after handling raw meat.

Keep food at safe temperatures

• Avoid the “danger zone.” Keep cold foods cold (below 40 degrees F) and hot foods hot (over 140 degrees F).
• Serve hot, grilled foods immediately.
• Put cooked foods on clean plates, not on plates that were used to hold raw meat or poultry.

Clean up and leftovers

• Clean the grill after each use.
• Chill any leftovers promptly. Divide larger quantities into small, shallow containers for faster cooling.
• Keep all perishable foods on ice or refrigerated at all times.
• Keep foods iced as you travel home and refrigerate as soon as you get home.

Visit MissouriFamilies.org to find more information on food safety.

Contributor: Karen Sherbondy, MEd, RD, LD, Extension Associate, Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri Extension, 816-655-6227

Myth: Leftovers are safe to eat until they smell bad.

Answer: BUSTED!

You can’t determine if a food is safe by its smell. Some spoiled food may be obvious. If your leftovers smell bad or look moldy or slimy, just throw them out. Never taste old leftovers to see if they are safe. Other spoilage may not be so obvious because some bacteria that can cause foodborne illness doesn’t affect the smell, taste or appearance of food.

Here are some tips for handling leftovers:

• It is important to freeze or toss refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days.
• Label your leftovers with a date so you know how long you’ve had them.
• Reheat foods only once and toss if there are any remaining leftovers.
• If you don't anticipate using the leftovers in the recommended time span, freeze them to extend the shelf life. Freeze in portion sizes that are easily eaten in one setting.
• Always thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator, not out on the counter.

Not sure how long that item has been sitting in the back of the refrigerator? Don’t take the risk — when in doubt, throw it out!

Visit MissouriFamilies.org to find more information on food safety.

Contributor: Karen Sherbondy, MEd, RD, LD, Extension Associate, Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri Extension, 816-655-6227

Myth: Food is safe to eat if I heat it in a microwave oven because the microwaves will kill the bacteria.

Answer: BUSTED!

It’s the heat that kills bacteria, not the microwaves. Microwave ovens are great time-savers, but make sure you take the time to adequately heat food to a safe internal temperature. That is what will kill the bacteria in foods.

Remember that foods can cook unevenly in microwave ovens. Microwaves cook food from the outside in toward the middle. Even if your microwave oven has a turntable, food can cook unevenly and leave cold spots where bacteria can survive.

Make sure to follow package instructions. If the instructions tell you to rotate and stir food during the cooking process or to let food stand for a period of time (to equalize the temperature), be sure to do it. Skipping these key cooking instructions may allow harmful bacteria to survive.

Check the temperature with a food thermometer in several spots to make sure food is heat thoroughly throughout. The same rules apply to leftovers — make sure to reheat them thoroughly to a safe internal temperature.

Visit MissouriFamilies.org to find more information on food safety and microwave ovens.

Contributor: Karen Sherbondy, MEd, RD, LD, Extension Associate, Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri Extension, 816-655-6227

Myth: I can cook any food in a microwave oven.

Answer: BUSTED!

Sometimes proper cooking requires the use of a conventional oven, not a microwave. Cooking instructions on packages are intended for a specific type of appliance and may not be applicable to all ovens.

Follow cooking instructions on the label

Some prepared convenience foods are oddly-shaped or have varying thicknesses, which can cause uneven cooking in a microwave oven. Cold spots can be left and bacteria can survive and grow.

Always use the appliance(s) recommended on the label, follow cooking instructions and use a food thermometer to make sure a safe internal temperature is reached to destroy bacteria that can cause foodborne illness.

Visit MissouriFamilies.org to find more information on food safety.

Contributor: Karen Sherbondy, MEd, RD, LD, Extension Associate, Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri Extension, 816-655-6227

Myth: “95% fat free” means only 5% of the calories come from fat.

Answer: BUSTED!

If a product is advertised as 5% fat, that means 5% of the total weight of the product is from fat. The actual number of calories from fat can be much higher.

For example, you have a luncheon meat package that says “95% fat free.” The Nutrition Facts Label tells you that each slice of meat has 45 calories and 2 grams of fat. Since each gram of fat has 9 calories per gram, multiply (2 x 9 = 18), so 18 of the 45 calories are from fat. That’s 40%!

Nutrition Facts label gives you all the info you need!

This nutrition information is on packaged foods and is now found on major cuts of raw meat and poultry products. Bottom line: skip the advertisement on the package and read the Nutrition Facts Label to really determine the fat content of a product.

Visit MissouriFamilies.org to find more information on fats and health.

Contributor: Karen Sherbondy, MEd, RD, LD, Extension Associate, Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri Extension, 816-655-6227

Myth: Flavored waters are a good alternative to tap water if you don’t like to drink water.

sparkling water with lemon slice

Answer: It depends…

Some flavored waters are just that — plain water with only flavoring and no added sugars. Others have sugar or use other sweeteners, which can add calories. So you could end up drinking a lot of calories if you choose the wrong type of flavored water. In addition, flavored waters typically cost more. Buying bottled water (flavored or not) on a regular basis is also wasteful due to the extra packaging with cans or bottles, so always choose those with the least amount of packaging and recycle if possible.

To make your own flavored water:

• Add slices of lemon, lime or orange to tap water and chill in a pitcher in the refrigerator.
• Add a small amount of 100% fruit juice to sparkling water for flavor and fizz.
• Here are more ideas for making your own flavored beverages.

Visit MissouriFamilies.org to find more information on water and health.

Contributor: Karen Sherbondy, MEd, RD, LD, Extension Associate, Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri Extension, 816-655-6227

Myth: I don’t waste food.

Answer: BUSTED… maybe!

Food waste costs the average family of four about $600 a year, and we may be wasting more food than we realize. To know for sure, track your habits by keeping a food waste diary. The food waste diary, an idea from Great Britain, is a daily way to track what food you don’t use or throw out and perhaps, most importantly, why the food was wasted.

To keep a food waste diary, take a piece of paper. Divide it into three columns and head each column as follows: meal or snack, food, and why the food wasn’t used. Every time you eat something throughout the day, enter the meal or snack, the food that wasn’t used and why it was thrown out or wasted. If you have children at home, get them to help you keep this food waste diary. Be sure to list spoiled food in your refrigerator (or cupboard) that you saved to use later but never did.

Are you using leftovers or throwing them out?

At the end of the week, review the diary. Are the same foods listed more than once? Maybe your family doesn’t like them or you are buying too much of that food. Do leftovers from the same meals get trashed? You may be preparing too much food at these meals. Do you throw out leftover food in containers too often? Maybe containers need to be clearly marked, dated or kept to the front of the refrigerator to remind family members that the food needs to be used. Or maybe you need to have a plan for how you will use – or freeze – leftovers. Save money from going down the drain – track your family’s food waste and change your habits accordingly!

Visit MissouriFamilies.org to find additional information on saving money at the grocery store. And get familiar with proper food storage in the refrigerator, cupboard and freezer.

Contributor: Ellen Schuster, M.S., R.D., Associate State Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu, 573-882-1933