Picnics, potlucks and outdoor meals are wonderful ways to celebrate warm weather and family get-togethers.  Make sure, however, that your family doesn’t get sick from a preventable food borne illness.   A little planning goes a long way to keeping everyone healthy.

Keep Everything Clean

     Find out if there's a source of safe water at your destination. If not, bring water for your food preparation and cleaning; or pack clean, wet, disposable cloths, hand sanitizers or moist towelettes and paper towels for cleaning hands and surfaces. Cross-contamination from raw meat during preparation, grilling, and serving food is a prime cause of food borne illness.

     Always wash your hands before and after handling food, and don’t use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Soap and water are essential to cleanliness, so if you are going somewhere that will not have potable water, bring it with you.  Pack clean utensils, not only for eating but also for serving the safely cooked food.  

Keeping Hot Food Hot and Cold Food Cold

It’s essential to keep hot food hot and cold food cold on the way to, and throughout, the meal. Holding food at an unsafe temperature is a prime cause of food borne illness. Already-hot summertime temperatures can spike higher in direct sunlight or in a boat. Food should not be left out of the cooler or off the grill more than two hours (one hour when the outside temperature is above 90 degrees). Most bacteria do not grow rapidly at temperatures below 41 °F or above 135 °F. The temperature range in between is known as the "Danger Zone." Bacteria multiply rapidly at these temperatures and can reach dangerous levels. Raw meat and poultry products may contain bacteria that cause food borne illness. They must be cooked to destroy these bacteria and held at temperatures that are either too hot or too cold for these bacteria to grow.

The Two Hour Rule

Food can only be out in temperatures between 41 degrees and 135 degrees for two hours.  After that, food should be discarded.  One helpful hint is to only put out small amounts of food and replenish as needed.

Keep Hot Food Hot

If bringing hot take-out food such as fried chicken or barbecue, eat it within two hours of purchase. Or plan ahead and chill the food in your refrigerator before packing it into an insulated cooler. In addition to a grill and fuel for cooking food, remember to pack a food thermometer to check that your meat and poultry reach a safe internal temperature. When reheating food at the outing, be sure it reaches 165 °F.

Keep Cold Foods Cold

Carry cold perishable food like hamburger patties, hotdogs, luncheon meats and chicken in an insulated cooler packed with plenty of ice or frozen gel packs. Be sure raw meat and poultry are wrapped securely and on the bottom of the cooler to prevent juices from cross-contaminating ready-to-eat food. Perishable cooked foods such as meats, chicken and potato or pasta salads must be kept cold, too.

Store food in the cooler except for brief times when serving. Cook only the amount of food that will be eaten to avoid the challenge of keeping leftovers at a safe temperature. Discard any leftovers that have not remained cold. 

Even fruits can pose a risk if not prepared or stored properly.  Remember to wash whole melons before cutting, and refrigerate the cut melon at 41 degrees or below. 

For more information about food safety, contact Deb Kilbarger, Registered Sanitarian at the Fairfield Department of Health (740) 653-4489 Extension 171 or log-on to www.fightbac.org.