Thursday, October 13, 2011

Eating Outdoors Safely

If you are thinking about going out for a picnic, you need to also think about food safety. You certainly do not want to make people sick.

Here are a few tips to remember.

1. Cold food should be kept cold. You should keep your food at or below 40 degrees F. Use ice or cold packs to keep your food cold.

2. Keep your beverages separate from your cold food. Since people are more likely to get a cold beverage, beverage coolers are opened more frequently. If you store food in the beverage cooler, the food will not stay cold.

3.  Keep your coolers closed as much as possible. Cold foods will stay cooler longer.

4. Do not cross-contaminate your food. Keep meats separate from one another and also keep them separate from other foods. Cooking utensils should also be separated from other items.

5. Thoroughly clean and wash your fruits and vegetables. Since most people just grab fruits and vegetables raw, it is important to make sure you clean and wash them thoroughly before packing them in your cooler.

No comments: