July is National Picnic Month, a great time to be outside and celebrate summer; getting with family and friends to share food and relax. In the hot Florida temperatures of summer, it is especially important to practice food safety rules when serving food outdoors to keep food from causing food borne illness.
Because bacteria is invisible, it is hard to convince people their summer meals served outdoors need special care. It becomes a challenge to keep hands, utensils and serving pieces clean and germ free when soap and water may not be as accessible on picnics. Check ahead of time to determine if there is safe drinking water, otherwise plan to take enough water for preparation and clean up.
Extension food safety specialists and the Food Safety and Inspection Service of USDA suggest the following practices to keep your picnic safe:
▪ Wash your hands with clean, safe water and soap often, especially before eating or preparing food. You may need to carry water for the purpose of hand washing.
▪ If there is no clean water to wash your hands, use alcohol-based gel to clean your hands.
▪ Keep the hand sanitizers away from small children and follow directions carefully.
▪ When temperatures are above 90°F, perishable foods should not be left out for more than one hour.
▪ Safe shelf-life of perishable food is a combination of time and temperature. Carry cold perishable food like hamburgers or hot dogs in an insulated cooler packed with plenty of ice.
▪ Perishable cooked foods like potato salad or cooked chicken should be packed on ice, but kept separate from any raw meat you may pack.
▪ Carry your coolers inside the car and not in the trunk where the surrounding temperatures can be extremely hot.
▪ Keep food in coolers until you are ready to serve it. If you are grilling, cook only the amount of food that will be eaten at the meal.
▪ Discard perishable food if it has been on a picnic table for a long time. Remember the rule, “If in doubt, throw it out!”
▪ Ice is a food, so handle it as you would handle foods. Ice that is used for cooling drinks and other foods should not be placed in your drinking cup! Consider putting perishable food in one cooler and pack a separate cooler of ice for drinking beverages.
▪ Follow safe handling of fresh fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of food borne illness. Fruit like cantaloupe and watermelon should be rinsed under running water before slicing to eliminate any dirt.
▪ At family picnics, remind your children and family members the importance of good personal hygiene and serving practices to prevent potential cross-contamination of germs from your hand to others!
For more information on food safety, contact the Madison County Extension Service.
The University of Florida Extension/IFAS – Madison County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Institution.
-Diann Douglas