Did you know you are more likely to get foodborne illness during the summer than at any other time throughout the year? According to the USDA, bacteria are present throughout the environment in soil, air, water, and in the bodies of people and animals. These microorganisms grow faster in the warm, humid summer months. In addition, outside activities increase. More people cook outside at picnics, barbecues, and camping trips. A kitchen’s safety controls – thermostat-controlled cooking, refrigeration, and washing facilities – are usually unavailable. By heeding a few simple precautions, you can keep yourself, family, and friends safe during these fun-filled summer months with these summer food safety tips.
Clean: Wash Hands and Surfaces Often
A prime cause of foodborne illness is unwashed hands. Before, during, and after handling food, you should wash your hands for 20 seconds. Washing hands after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and touching pets is also important.
When eating away from home, find out if there is a safe water source. If there is no safe water source, bringing water for cleaning and preparation is important. Alternatively, pack clean, wet, disposable washcloths or moist towelettes and paper towels for cleaning hands and surfaces.
Before you grill any foods, preheat the grill on high heat for 15-20 minutes to kill any surface bacteria. After preheating, clean off charred debris from the grill rack using a grill scraper or brush. Carefully inspect the rack for any remaining fragments. Scrape your grill again immediately after using it and wipe with a cloth if necessary.
Separate: Do not Cross-Contaminate
Cross-contamination during food preparation, cooking, and serving is a prime cause of foodborne illness.
Wash fruit and veggies in cool tap water before eating to eliminate any bacteria. This includes washing produce like melon before you slice or peel it to ensure bacteria is not transferred from the knife to your fruit or veggies.
Meats, poultry, and seafood are often marinated and grilled during the summer. Be sure to discard used marinade to prevent raw meat juices from getting on the cooked food. If you plan on using the marinade as a sauce for cooked meat, reserve some before marinating the meat.
When packing the cooler for an outing, wrap raw meats securely or place them in a sealed container. Avoid raw meat juices from coming in contact with ready-to-eat food by placing them below ready-to-eat items. Better yet, use a separate cooler for raw meats.
Use one plate for the raw meat, poultry, or seafood and a separate, clean plate for the newly cooked foods. Otherwise, wash plates, utensils, and cutting boards that hold the raw items before using them again for cooked food.
Cook: Cook to Safe Temperatures
Take your food thermometer with you. Checking the color of the food is not an accurate way to tell if the meat is thoroughly cooked. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often brown fast on the outside. Check them with a food thermometer to ensure they reach the correct internal temperature. Cook fresh meat steaks, chops, and roasts to 145°F; fish and shellfish to 145°F; eggs and all ground meats to 160°F; all forms of poultry and fowl to 165°F.
If you need to keep food warm for the short term, wrapping or covering it with aluminum foil will do the trick. Just remember that the foil will keep in the heat for only about 30 minutes or so. It can also be placed in an empty cooler or insulated bag.
Chill: Refrigerate Promptly
Food safety begins before you even leave the market. When shopping, pick up foods that need refrigeration last before checkout to avoid warming. Head home and put them in the refrigerator or freezer right away.
Holding food at an unsafe temperature is another prime cause of foodborne illness. Perishable food like raw or cooked meats and salads should be kept in an insulated cooler packed with several inches of ice, ice packs, or containers of frozen water. Keep the cooler in the coolest part of the vehicle or camper, and place it in the shade or shelter, out of the sun, whenever possible.
While serving, cold foods can be kept in a shallow pan of ice, draining off the water as it melts.
Food left out of refrigeration for more than two hours may be unsafe. When the temperature is above 90°F, food should not be left out for more than one hour. Toss any unrefrigerated food if it surpasses the time limit.
Summertime often brings sunshine and gatherings with family and friends. Do not let the bug bite of foodborne illness get you!
Written by Vicki Hayman, MS, University of Wyoming Extension Nutrition and Food Safety Educator
Sources:
- www.cdc.gov
- www.fda.gov
- fightbac.org
- www.fsis.usda.gov