Don't let spoiled food ruin your summer outing. Some simple steps can keep food safer to eat during the hot summer months.

Food safety concerns rise with the temperature

From large family reunions to supper for one at a bandstand in the park, the fair weather of summer encourages outdoor dining. Unfortunately, warm weather also encourages 'food poisoning', more accurately described as foodborne illness.

The rate of foodborne illness peaks in summer months. In part this is because potentially harmful bacteria thrive and multiply in hot weather. Most bacteria that cause illness grow fastest at temperatures from 90º F to 110º F. Humid conditions are even more favorable because most bacteria also like moisture.

Foodborne illness also occurs more in summer months because people cook and/or eat outdoors more frequently, often in areas away from stoves, refrigeration, and perhaps even running water. Whether you are on the road or in your own back yard, however, there are steps you can take to reduce your chance of foodborne illness.

Safe shopping

Groceries can grow warm quickly in hot weather. To keep cold food cold as long as possible:

• Shop for perishable foods just as you're ready to check out of the market.
• Make the grocery store your last stop so you can head home immediately after shopping.
• Ask to have perishable foods packed separately. Paper bags will keep food colder than plastic. So will packing cold food together in one bag.
• If you are driving, carry meat and poultry in the coolest part of the car.
• If you are traveling for more than 30 minutes, carry a cooler and ice packs to hold perishable groceries.
• At home, put perishable food away promptly.

In the kitchen

• Use a refrigerator thermometer to make sure your refrigerator temperature is 40º F (4.50º C) or slightly lower. You may need to change the setting during hot spells. Your freezer should be set at 0º F (-17.50º C).
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after preparing food.
• Marinate food in the refrigerator, where it stays cool, not on the counter. Do not use the same marinade for raw and cooked food unless you have boiled it first (or prepared a separate batch).
• Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly in cool water before using.
• Completely thaw meat or poultry in the refrigerator before grilling it, to allow for even cooking.

Picnics and cookouts

• If you are cooking and/or dining away from home, carry prepackaged wipes to wash your hands in case soap and water aren't easily available.
• Use equipment to keep hot food hot and cold food cold until you are ready to cook or eat it. For cold food use a cooler and ice or freezer packs. Hot food can be packed in thermal bags or vacuum-type containers.
• Pack cold food directly from the refrigerator or freezer. Load your cooler just before you leave.
• A full cooler will hold its temperature longer. If you are transporting food for one or two people use small sized coolers or insulated bags.
• Ideally, meat and poultry should be tested with a thermometer to ensure that they have been cooked enough to kill harmful bacteria. If you aren't the person hosting an event, however, this is beyond your control. As a 'next best' alternative, use color as a guide. Avoid eating hamburgers and chicken that are pink. Cut into the thickest part or next to the bone to check your food before you begin eating it.
• Discard any food that is left out for more than 2 hours -- 1 hour if the temperature is above 90° F (320° C).

Source

Food Safety and Inspection Service, US Department of Agriculture Web site. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/consumerpubs.htm. Accessed July 16, 2001.

Links

• How To Reduce Your Risk of Foodborne Illness
• The Serious Side of Foodborne Illness
• How to handle food hygienically
• To quickly access additional accurate information on this and other nutrition-related topics, visit Tufts University's Nutrition Navigator