Don't Eat The Potato Salad- Food Safety Tips for the Summer Months

July is the time for vacations, family & class reunions and other joyous occasions when we meet with family and friends. Normally when there are outdoor gatherings, we reminisce on days gone by and enjoy the summer weather. However, have you ever gone to a picnic or an outdoor function and something was wrong with the food or heard the phrase “Don’t eat that”? This week’s blog focuses on food safety tips as we head into the Fourth of July holidays. These food safety tips are from the FDA regarding how to pack, store, cook and serve your food while outdoors.

1. Keep Cold Food Cold – cold food should be stored at 40°F or below to prevent bacterial growth
2. Keep Warm Food Warm – temperature fluctuations between hot food getting cold then reheating it can make you very sick. If the food is out for more than 1 hour in 90°F then don’t eat it because of the food borne illnesses and bacterial growth can be multiplied due to the summer weather
3. Organize Cooler Contents- keep beverages in a separate cooler from your perishable items (such as meat or vegetables)
4. Keep Coolers Closed – try not to go into the cooler repeatedly and also try to store the coolers out of direct sunlight.
5. Don’t Cross-Contaminate- Don’t have your meat and vegetables stored together and try to have them in separate containers so that the liquids won’t cross contaminate. Also don’t use the same utensils for your meat as your vegetables without properly sanitizing them (or just use a different set).
6. Clean your produce before packing it in your cooler
7. Cook Food Immediately After Partial Cooking – if you like to boil or bake your meat then place it on the grill, do so immediately- don’t let it cool down then place on the grill to complete the cooking process
8. Don’t Recycle Utensils and Marinade- if you had raw food on platters or touched it with utensils, do not use those same utensils for your cooked food. Also, don’t reuse the same marinade, throw it away and make a fresh batch for each
9. Cook Food Thoroughly- make sure that your meats are cooked to the appropriate temperature before service
10. Check for Foreign Objects in Food – we don’t want any extra protein (i.e. bugs, bristles from your grill brush, etc.) in the food

When cooking outdoors, I always use the mantra, cook as if you are cooking indoors, but with a little extra care. Use your common sense along with your other senses to ensure that your guests don’t get sick. Remember to look and smell the food and if your Aunt’s Potato Salad doesn’t seem right, don’t eat it. One other valuable tip for cooking outdoors, bring plenty of sanitation wipes and also jugs of water with soap in the event that you don’t have running water. That way you have a means of disinfecting your kitchen wares before you leave. For more information about other food safety tips, visit http://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou/consumers/ucm109899.htm to learn how to keep your food safe for consumption during these summer months.

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Do you have any other food safety tips that you would like to share? If so, please feel free to share!

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