Food Scientists at the University of Holy Cross in New Orleans tested popular parade foods to learn more about foodborne bacteria growth on favorites left out throughout the day. Researchers left food and ice chest samples out at room temperature and checked them every two hours for eight hours for bacteria and pathogen growth. UHC Food Science Program Director Dr. Darryl Holliday said the cooler of drinks was the least sanitary.
“Picking Mardi Gras beads up off the street and then touching food or touching ice specifically, the bacteria transfer was hugely significant.”
Holliday recommends either sanitizing your hands before reaching for a beverage or using a wet wipe to decontaminate the rim of the drink to avoid any bacteria that could ruin your Mardi Gras.
Researchers also tested fried chicken, ham and cheese sandwiches, jambalaya, onion dip, and dairy-based daiquiris. Holliday said the hot foods like fried chicken and jambalaya held up well due to the extreme temperatures they’re cooked at, but it’s best to try to keep hot foods warm and cold foods cool throughout the day.
“One of the best ways to keep foods warm on a parade route is to use an empty ice chest and put your foods in disposable aluminum pans and put those pans in the ice chest and let that ice chest act as a little warming oven.”
The worst-performing food was ham and cheese sandwiches which Holliday said offered a breeding ground for foodborne bacteria. With a source of simple carbohydrates from the bread and the natural bacteria found on lunch meat, premade sandwiches can offer an unsanitary combination…
“If you’re planning on having sandwiches, the best thing to do would be to bring the components separately and make the sandwich as you’re ready to eat.”