6 Reasons to take care of your food when it’s hot outside

Family reunions are abundant during the summer months, and many reunions involve food and picnics. Do you know how to keep your family safe during a picnic by practicing food safety?

Why is it important? Bacteria grow in warm, moist conditions. If food is in the “danger zone” (40-140 degrees F), bacteria will grow more rapidly in these foods than if the foods were kept at a safe temperature (which is less than 40 degrees F for cold foods and more than 140 degrees F for hot foods).

In case you need a refresher, here are a few tidbits to keep in mind:

1. Transport your food in an appropriate container. If you have a hot dish to transport, cover the food, use a hot pack and put the food in an insulated container (like a Pyrex container). If you have a cold dish to transport, put ice packs (or ice) in a cooler and keep the food in the cooler.

2. Transport your cold food in the passenger part of your vehicle, not the trunk. Your trunk’s temperature can reach up to 150 degrees F in the summer months. This is great for keeping hot foods hot, but not for keeping cold foods cold. If the food should be cold, keep it next to the air conditioning vent in your car. If it’s hot, put it in the trunk. Simple to remember. Also, keep the cold foods in the shade once you get to the picnic site (if a refrigerator is not available).

3. Bacteria grow in any foods, even fruits. Keep your watermelon and canteloupe cold (as bacteria have been introduced to these foods when you cut them) or choose to bring foods that do not need to be cut beforehand (peaches, pears, plums, apples, etc). Same goes for vegetables.

4. Keep foods at the appropriate temperature during the picnic. If you have a cold dish, surround it with ice or ice packs (don’t just set it on top of the ice). Try to keep the hot food covered as much as possible and keep it in its insulated container. This goes for the grilled items too–keep raw meats in a separate, insulated container before they are cooked, and make sure that once you cook them, they don’t sit out in the sun for more than an hour.

5. Throw away any food that should be kept cold or hot if it has been sitting out over 1 hour, especially if it’s over 90 degrees outside!!!!

6. Consider taking smaller portions to the picnic. For example, you make a huge container of potato salad, put it in one container to transport, and put out this huge container for everyone to eat. Only 1/3 of it is consumed at the picnic. You’ve wasted 2/3 of the potato salad because you need to throw away any of the food that has been sitting out over 1 hour. However, if you divide the potato salad into 3 smaller bowls and take each container out of your cooler as your family consumes it, the other two containers may still be safe if they’ve been sitting in ice (not just cold water) in your cooler, unopened, the whole afternoon.

I hope that you enjoy your summer picnics and that you and your family have safe eats!

Check out Fight Bacteria for more information.

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