The Most Dangerous Foods You Can Bring To A Holiday Potluck

Korbey via Getty Images You probably never thought twice about baked potatoes. “Those are the ones who are the most likely to become sick enough to be taken to the hospital,” said Dr. Darin Detwiler, a professor of food policy and corporate social responsibility at Northeastern University and author of ”Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions.” Another concern when deciding on what dish to bring for a potluck is to consider food allergens and allergies people may have. “If you are participating in a potluck, there is a basic food safety concept that is essential to prevent making people sick: time and temperature abuse,” said Mitzi Baum, the CEO of STOP Foodborne Illness, a national public health nonprofit advocating for safe food and food safety culture change nationally. “The ‘temperature danger zone’ refers to the temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit and it is very important to keep foods out of the danger zone.” Foods that are kept in the temperature danger zone for more than two hours create an ideal environment for bacteria to grow — warmth and food — and proliferate. “Be aware of the amount of lag time food goes through when being in the danger zone as a cumulative process,” Roszkowski said, such as, “sitting out at the actual potluck, travel time, amount of time it spent cooling after being prepared, how long the ingredients sat in the refrigerator before being prepared, and amount of time the ingredients spent out of the refrigerator while grocery shopping and getting them home.” HuffPost spoke with food safety experts on foods they avoid at potlucks, why and tips to ensure no one gets sick.