Tips for summer food safety

Summer is here! Warmer weather is great for getting the family together to eat outside. Whether you are packing a quiet picnic or planning a family barbecue, make sure you understand food safety and how to properly store your food. The warm weather is perfect for making bacteria grow faster if our food is not properly handled. Most food-borne bacteria grow fastest at temperatures from 90°F to 110 °F. Bacteria also need moisture to flourish, and summer weather is often hot and humid.

The typical signs of food borne illness or food poisoning are

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Cramps
• Diarrhea
• High fever
• Bloody stool, most severe cases

Young children, pregnant women and the elderly are more affected by food poisoning. These are types of bacteria that cause food poisoning.

• E. Coli
• Salmonella
• Hepatitis A virus
• Pasteurella
• Listeria

There are several ways to prevent your family fun from turning into a medical emergency.

1. Wash your hands. Make sure to wash hands often while enjoying outdoor activities. Also, wash all surfaces before preparing your meal. This will help reduce bacteria that may be left from a previous family enjoying the same picnic site.
2. Observe the “2-hour” rule. Do not leave food requiring refrigeration out more than 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90°F, food needs to be refrigerated with-in 1 hour.
3. Separate beverages and perishable foods into 2 coolers. This will help keep your food colder, due to opening the beverage cooler more often. Remember to keep refilling ice in the cooler once you notice the previous ice melting. Cold food should be kept at or below 40°F. Hot food should be wrapped and placed in insulated containers and kept at or above 140°F.
4. Keep the cooler in the coolest part of the car, and place in the shade or shelter, out of the sun, whenever possible.
5. Store leftovers safely. Once you finish eating, seal containers and put immediately back in the cooler or refrigerator.
6. Cross-contamination during preparation, grilling and serving food is a prime cause of food borne illness. When packing the cooler, wrap raw meats securely. Avoid raw meat juices from coming in contact with ready-to-eat food. Wash plates, utensils and cutting boards that held the raw meat or poultry before using again for cooked food.
7. Make sure to grill your food thoroughly. Remember grilling can brown the outside faster than it may cook on the inside. Take along a thermometer to be on the safe side.
   - Steaks and roasts that have been tenderized, boned, rolled, etc., should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F
   - Ground beef, veal and lamb should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 160°F
   - All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F throughout the product
   - Cook meat and poultry completely at the picnic site. If you partially cook food ahead of time, this can allow bacteria to survive and multiply rapidly. This also can mean when cooking the food at a later time, it may not destroy the bacteria.
8. When to toss your leftovers? The 1-2 day rule: cooked or uncooked fish should NOT be kept more than 48 hours. Fresh sausage and uncooked ground meats should be tossed after 1 or 2 days. The 3-5 day rule: deli or homemade egg, chicken, ham, tuna or pasta salad should be tossed. If in doubt … throw it out! It is better to be safe than sorry.

If you believe you have contracted food poisoning, remember to stay well hydrated. Chew on ice chips and drink plenty of fluids. Once you feel that you can eat something, start off light and bland. Eat things such as bananas, rice, applesauce, toast, crackers and soup. If there is severe pain, vomiting does not stop within a couple hours or there is bloody diarrhea, seek medical treatment immediately.

Enjoy the warm weather with your family this summer. These helpful food storage tips will help keep you, your family and friends healthy this summer.