Charcuterie boards: Popular and pretty for party food ― but are they safe?

A meat-and-cheese platter paired with a basket of crackers is a go-to appetizer for many parties. Now, these basic platters have been elevated to the next level with the addition of pates, spreads, breads, fresh or dried fruits, and vegetables — both raw and pickled. Served on a wooden board or stone slab, they're a feast for the eye and the taste buds.

As you assemble your picture-perfect charcuterie board, remember to pay attention to food safety and health concerns.

Keep it clean

Prepping and assembling a charcuterie board requires a lot of handling of each item, so don't forget the basics:

• Start by washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before, during and after preparing food.
• Always wash your hands after handling uncooked meat, chicken and other poultry, seafood, flour or eggs.
• Wash your utensils, cutting boards and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food.
• Wash fresh fruits and vegetables before cutting.
• Choose a slab or board for serving that you don't use for cutting or other food preparation. Wash it thoroughly.

Beware of bacteria

No party host wants their guests to take home a nasty bout of food poisoning. Selecting and handling your board's ingredients are key to preventing foodborne illnesses and protecting people at higher risk, which includes those who are younger than 5, older than 65, have a weakened immune system or are pregnant.

Pregnant people are more likely to get bacterial illnesses and 10 times more susceptible to a listeria infection. Deli meats, cold cuts and dry sausages can be contaminated with listeria when they're made or packaged. Although cooking, fermenting or drying kills germs, these meats can get contaminated afterward if they touch surfaces carrying listeria.

Listeria isn't the only concern. Salmonella also can contaminate foods and has been found in charcuterie meats, as well as raw and frozen, precooked shrimp.

Watch the clock

Bacteria that cause food poisoning multiply quickly at room temperature. Harmful germs can grow in perishable foods, including meat and cut fruit, if they're left out for more than two hours.

Pay attention to how long your charcuterie board has been sitting out. To avoid tossing the tidbits after two hours, consider making more than one board. Set out one and refrigerate the others until needed.

Check the cheese

Cheeses made with raw cow's, sheep or goat's milk can make you sick. These can include soft cheeses, such as brie and blue cheese. It's a good idea to check the labels of soft cheeses to ensure they're made from pasteurized milk. In the U.S., cheeses made with raw milk must be aged for at least 60 days. Aging, along with pasteurization, kills bacteria.

Scale back on the sodium

Many ingredients used in charcuterie boards are high in sodium, including deli meats, dry sausages, cheeses, salted nuts, pretzels and crackers. The recommendation for daily sodium intake for adults is 2,300 milligrams or less. To reduce the sodium load on your board, add more fresh or dried fruits and raw veggies. Choose unsalted nuts and low-sodium crackers and pretzels.

Serve it safely

Charcuterie boards are the epitome of finger food. That means lots of fingers touching the food throughout your party. No host wants to play hand-washing police, so give your guests multiple options for picking up their food selections. Have plenty of picks, tongs, spoons and forks at hand. Some foods can be threaded onto skewers or picks before being arranged on the board for easier handling.

For a creative option that's great for gatherings with more mingling than sitting, put together charcuterie cups. You can find recyclable and compostable cups in stores or online. Fill each cup with nuts and assorted mini skewers, such as one with a deli meat rosette and a cube of cheese; another with fresh and dried fruit; and one with a variety of olives. Add a couple of crackers, and you have an easy-to-hold, portable appetizer.

Jamie Pronschinske is a dietitian in Nutrition in La Crosse, Wisconsin.