Summertime Food Safety

Now that we are in the Summer months, we all have more opportunities to enjoy being outside. But the warm weather also brings more opportunities for food to become contaminated with harmful bacteria. To protect you and your loved ones from foodborne illness, it is critical to practice safe food handling.  Check out the following simple guidelines to ensure you are doing all you can to keep everyone healthy.

  • Keep your cold food cold- Make sure your cold food is packed in a cooler with plenty of ice or ice packs. Consider organizing your cold foods and drinks into different coolers. Keeping drinks separate from food, will ensure the food is not exposed to warm temperatures each time someone opens a cooler to get a new drink.
  • Do not cross contaminate your foods– Keep raw meat, seafood, and poultry securely wrapped and store them towards the bottom of the cooler. This will keep their juices from contaminating prepared/cooked foods that are being stored in the cooler.
  • Clean your produce- rinse your fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water before packing them in the cooler. Packaged fruits and vegetables that are labeled “ready-to-eat” do not need to be rinsed.
  • Outdoor hand cleaning– Whenever possible always use warm water and soap to wash your hands. When handwashing is not possible, use hand sanitizer or hand wipes.
  • Cook your food thoroughly– When cooking or grilling use a food thermometer to make sure your food is cooked to the proper temperature. Use the “is it done yet?” picture from the USDA to know what the proper internal temperature is for different types of meat, poultry, and fish.

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