Are you planning to host a party at your home? If you are, then you should only go ahead with the plans once you understand that your guests can hold you liable for their injuries if they suffer food poisoning at your party. If you are found liable, your homeowner's insurance carrier will have to pay the damages. With that in mind, use these three major precautions to prevent such complications at your house party:

Know How Long Food Takes To Go Bad

Most people know that food goes bad with time, but this general knowledge isn't enough. You must know how long each food stays fresh in and outside the fridge. Will it be safe to eat the meat you bought a couple of days ago? What about the leftovers? Do you know how long can you keep reheating and eating them?

The above are some of the questions you must answer because some foods spoil faster than most people realize. For example, turkey can go bad if it stays out of the fridge for two hours; the limit stretches to four days if it is refrigerated. This also means you need to keep track of time, which usually flies in a good party, and remove food from the table once it isn't safe to eat.

Mind Your Hygiene

Food poisoning doesn't just originate within the food; outside factors can contaminate the food and make it bad for human consumption too. For example, using dirty hands or utensils can contaminate the food and give your guests food poisoning. This may happen, for example, if the person handling the food is also helping out in other party preparation, such as lighting. Every hand and utensil that handles the food should be washed clean. Those who have an infectious disease, such as a cold, shouldn't handle the food to minimize the risk of cross-infection.

Be Aware Of The High-Risk Groups

Some people are at a high risk of food poisoning than others. If you are expecting such guests in your party, then you need to be extra careful with their food. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), those who have the greatest risk include pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and anybody with a compromised immune system.

A few precautions will help you keep this group of guests safe. For example, you shouldn't serve them raw fish, unpasteurized milk, and fermented sausage, among others. In short, know which types of guests you will be having and make sure you are prepared for them.

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