Most adults have healthy immune systems that protect them from getting sick from contaminated food. Young children are more vulnerable to food-borne bacteria, because of their immature immune systems. There are some simple steps to keep your food safe in summer. The most important safety measure is washing your hands with hot, soapy water before handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, or handling pets. If you’re eating away from home, use disposable wipes or antibacterial gels and dry your hands with paper towels.
Prevent Cross-Contamination
Cross-contamination during preparation, grilling, and serving food is another prime cause of food-borne illness. When you pack your cooler, wrap raw meats or poultry securely so the juices won’t come in contact with other foods. Wash plates, utensils, and cutting boards that held raw meat or fish before using them again.
Don’t Undercook
Foods should be heated long enough and at a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often brown fast on the outside but may be undercooked inside. Check them with a thermometer. Cook meat and poultry completely at the picnic site. Partial cooking of foods ahead of time allows bacteria to survive and multiply to the point that subsequent cooking can’t destroy them. Here are the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) recommended temperatures for some meats, expressed in degrees Fahrenheit:
Cook hamburger and other ground meats to an internal temperature of 160°F and ground poultry to 165°F. You cannot determine if the meat is safe simply by the color. Cook steaks and roasts that have been tenderized, boned, rolled, etc., to 160°F for well-done. Whole steaks and roasts may be cooked to 145°F for medium rare. Whole poultry should be cooked to 180°F. Breast meat should be cooked to 170°F.
Refrigerate Promptly
Luncheon meats, cooked meats, chicken, fish, potato or pasta salads, and other perishables should be kept in an insulated cooler with several inches of ice or ice packs. Replenish the ice when it starts to melt. Don’t put food out until your family is ready to eat it. Try to pack beverages in one cooler and perishable foods in another cooler, because the beverage cooler probably will be opened frequently. If possible, keep the cooler on the seat of the car instead of in the hot trunk, and put it in the shade when you unpack the car.
Handling Leftovers
Stow leftovers back in the cooler as soon as you finish eating. Food left out of refrigeration for more than two hours may not be safe to eat. At 90°F or above, food left out over one hour can spoil. If in doubt, throw it out!
