Being moved out of the stadium parking lot isn’t the only problem tailgaters face. Some may also battle with bacteria which could result in food poisoning.

These microorganisms can be found on undercooked food — specifically rare hamburgers grilled quickly before kick-off. To prevent any danger to Cyclone fans during Saturday’s Iowa versus Iowa State game, the Food Science Club worked Monday to make sure food poisoning was one less thing tailgaters had to worry about.

The Food Science Club spent Monday afternoon priming students on proper grilling techniques. Their booth at Central Campus contained information including instructions on cooking, creating a clean preparation environment and preventing harmful bacteria from growing on food.

The club also distributed quizzes on food safety and rewarded the lucky student who answered all questions correctly with a meat thermometer.

“We originally wanted to educate students on proper grilling at the football game,” said Jasmine Kuan, president of the Food Science Club. “But we had problems with the athletic department, so we brought the awareness of food safety [to Central Campus].”

The club handed out moist towelettes to students as they passed by the booth. Food Science Club members said towelettes were the cleaning product of choice for students because they were the most convenient.

“Students get crazy at a football game because of the alcohol everywhere, so this is the most practical way for them to wash their hands and create a clean eating area in that environment,” said Kuan, graduate in food science and human nutrition.

According to health experts, food safety at football games shouldn’t be taken lightly. Exposure to bacteria could cause minor effects such as light headaches, or major heath risks such as botulism bacteria, which grows in improperly-preserved canned foods and can result in death.

While food poisoning is difficult to detect and rarely fatal among college students, appropriate precautions should be taken, said Judy Trumpy, nutritional therapist at Thielen Student Health Center.

“If people bring meat for grilling, it should be placed on ice the entire time,” she said. “More specifically, the meat should be placed under the ice because cold air falls. Once the meat is grilled, it shouldn’t sit outside for more than half an hour.”