General information only. This page shares general food-safety habits for home hosts. It is not medical advice. For current guidance, see FoodSafety.gov and the FDA food pages. If you are serving at a venue or public event, your local health department may have its own rules.
Wash produce first
US food-safety agencies advise rinsing fresh fruits and vegetables under running water before you cut or peel them, even if you will not eat the peel. Cutting through an unwashed rind can carry germs from the surface into the fruit and the juice. Scrub firm fruit like lemons, limes and oranges with a clean brush, then dry it with a clean towel. Soap and special produce washes are not recommended for this.
Wash your hands before handling produce, and use a clean cutting board and knife. Keep fruit for drinks away from raw meat, poultry and seafood, and from the boards and knives used for them.
Unpasteurized juice
Juice you squeeze yourself, and fresh juice from a market or juice bar, is usually unpasteurized. Pasteurization uses heat to kill harmful germs, so unpasteurized juice carries more risk. The FDA advises that children, older adults, pregnant people and people with weakened immune systems choose pasteurized or otherwise treated juice. In the US, packaged juice that has not been treated in this way must carry a warning label, though juice squeezed to order may not.
For a party with guests in those groups, the simple choice is to use pasteurized juice from the refrigerated or shelf-stable section, and save fresh-squeezed juice for small amounts of lemon and lime. Either way, tell guests what is in the drinks so they can choose.
Keep it cold
- Refrigerate fresh juice right after squeezing, at 40°F (4°C) or below.
- Squeeze juice the day you serve it.
- Keep pitchers in the fridge until you need them, and swap them out instead of topping up a warm one.
- Follow the two-hour guideline: agencies advise not leaving perishable food at room temperature for more than about two hours, or about one hour above 90°F (32°C).
Ice is food
Under the FDA Food Code used by restaurants and many venues, ice used in drinks is treated as food. The same thinking is a good habit at home.
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Use a clean scoop with a handle | Scoop ice with a glass, which can chip and leave shards |
| Keep the scoop outside the ice, in a clean bowl | Leave the scoop buried in the ice, handle and all |
| Keep drink ice covered and separate | Use ice that chilled bottles, cans or food for drinks |
| Make ice from water you would drink | Let guests reach into the ice with their hands |
If a glass breaks near the ice, empty the container, wash it, and start over with fresh ice. Small shards are almost impossible to see.
Garnishes and cut fruit
Cut fruit is perishable too. Keep garnish trays chilled, set out small amounts and refill them from the fridge, and give guests tongs or picks. Throw out garnishes that have sat out more than about two hours.
Who should make the drinks
Anyone who is sick, especially with vomiting or diarrhea, should stay out of food and drink prep. Ask a helper to take over. It is an easy rule that protects everyone at the party.
More hosting tips are in the drink station guide and the batching guide.