When it’s extremely hot during the summer, it’s really important to take care of food safety to avoid falling sick.
The warm and sunny summer weather calls for outdoor picnics and get-togethers.
Did you know that the warm and humid summer weather is perfect for bacteria to multiply and spread rapidly in food if not handled safely, leading to foodborne illness?
Read more: How temperature affects food.
To stay safe from foodborne illness during the fun-filled summer months, follow these food safety tips when outdoors:
Keep hot food hot and cold food cold
Place cold food in a cooler with ice, stored at or below 5oC, and hot food in an insulated container, above 60oC to avoid the rapid growth of bacteria. Limit the number of times you open the cooler or the insulated box, to avoid temperature loss.
Don’t cross-contaminate
Securely wrap raw meat, seafood, and poultry and store them separately, below 5oC.
If their juices come in contact with ready-to-eat or cooked food, they cause contamination of food and lead to food poisoning.
Storing them separately helps you avoid such incidents.
Utensils and serving dishes
Wrap and store utensils and serving dishes hygienically.
Handle them with clean hands and do not reuse them. Have clean utensils/platter ready at the grilling/serving site.
This helps you maintain food hygiene and avoid contamination.
Discard contaminated food
Food that has been sitting out in the warm temperature, for a long time (more than 2 hours) after serving, could be loaded with bacteria and is not safe to consume.
Discard it to be safe, and avoid food poisoning.
You cannot tell whether your food is safe by its appearance, smell, or taste.
If it is not handled safely, or when in doubt, it is safer to throw it out, instead of regretting it after falling sick.
Cook food thoroughly
Cooking food thoroughly is imperative to destroy any harmful bacteria in food.
Don’t resort to serving food that has raw or undercooked eggs.
Avoid reheating food more than once and bring sauces, gravies, and soups to a boil when reheating.
Wash your hands
Wash your hands thoroughly with water and soap, before handling food, after using the washroom, handling waste, handling pets, and after handling raw food.
If not washed properly, hands can be a source of contamination as they carry bacteria from different areas that are touched often.
These tips will help you keep your food safe when you are outdoors on a warm summer day and have a fun-filled day without getting sick with foodborne illness.
Prioritize Food safety when outdoors
If you’re having a picnic or barbecue outside to enjoy your summer holidays, it is imperative that you keep in mind basic food safety measures to ensure everyone stays healthy and safe.
Pack your drinks in a cooler and perishable foods in another. That will help limit the number of times the cooler is opened, allowing food to stay colder longer.
Do not partially cook food in advance, as this can allow bacteria to survive and multiply.
Even if the food is later fully cooked, some bacteria may have already produced heat-resistant toxins that cooking cannot eliminate. To ensure food safety, it’s best to cook food thoroughly in one go.
Leftovers should be packaged and placed in a cooler or refrigerator within two hours after eating to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
Keeping food out for too long at room temperature can allow bacteria to multiply rapidly, increasing the risk of foodborne illness.
When in doubt about the safety of any food item, whether due to how long it has been left out, its smell, or appearance, it is always safer to throw it out rather than risk getting sick.
Following these food safety tips will help you enjoy hosting and attending outdoor events without worrying about getting sick.
How do you ensure food safety when on a picnic outdoors? Do share your ideas in the comments.
This Post Has 4 Comments
Yes, this is so important to be aware of! I think we should all try to be a vigilant as possible to avoid any harm/issues caused by food not being kept safe. Great reminder.
Thank you!
You’re absolutely right. It is important to be vigilant and avoid getting sick due to consuming unsafe food.
So sad with this unsafe food.. I don’t use any of this .Anita
Thank you for stopping by!
Unsafe food is to be discarded so that it doesn’t make people sick.