County Extension Agent | Family & Community Health 500 E. Wallace St | San Saba, TX 76877 mckinley.crownover@ag.tamu.edu | 325-372-3851 4H
Food Show registration closes on October 25th at 4:00. If you are interested in competing in the food show, please contact McKinley Armstrong for details.
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Walk Across Texas
Our Walk Across Texas just completed week three! We have two teams that have already walked across Texas and started their journey back across Texas! Congratulations to the Walking Girls and Keep Going for Gogo! In first place for this week, we have the Walking Girls with 944.9 miles; second place is Keep Going for GoGo with 866.71 miles; Stepping It Up with 497.76 in the third; Bend Extension in fourth place with 438.65 miles, and the Witching Wheels in fifth place with 389.11 miles. Keep up the great work!
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Tailgate Food Safety before, during, and after a game: Now that football season is officially here, Texans are spending plenty of time tailgating. Whether it be cheering on a local school’s six-man team, returning to an alma mater for a longstanding rivalry or attending a stadium game, football and the activities surrounding it are an integral part of fall for most Texans. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Rebecca Dittmar, program specialist for the food safety education program, wants people to understand the true importance of food safety when tailgating. Because while everyone is excited to get a touchdown, no one is excited to come down with a touch of food poisoning or worse.
Temperature Matters:
Texans know over the course of the football season you can go from wearing a T-shirt and shorts at a game to needing multiple layers, which include a jacket, hand warmers, and a blanket or two for good measure. When it comes to food at tailgate, the last thing you want is a range of temperatures. To stay safe, hot food must stay hot and cold food must stay cold. However, keeping food at the proper temperature takes some advance planning. Never assume a cooler is cool enough or an insulated bag will be hot enough to keep your food safe. The “danger zone” for food is temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees; Dittmar said harmful bacteria grows rapidly in this range.
Clean and Avoid Cross Contamination:
Keep foods in appropriate containers and separate from one another to prevent crosscontamination. Pack enough serving utensils for each individual dish. Make sure all produce is clean. Make sure soap, hand sanitizer and water are available for washing hands at the game.
With a little advance planning an understanding of food safety, you can enjoy your tailgate and feel good knowing you are protecting your friends and family from foodborne illnesses. If you have any questions about foodborne illness or proper safety measures, contact McKinley Armstrong at 325372-5416.