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Picnic Fun, Food and Safety

© Michelle Marshall

With Summer fast approaching, it's only natural to start thinking about picnics and long hours spent outdoors. Camping is one of my kids favorite things to do, as well as cooking out and having picnics. Following are just some reminders on how to keep your food safe and edible when spending time outdoors, and some tips on what to keep and what to toss.

*Put ice on top, with foods to be kept coldest on the bottom.

*Pack right from the refrigerator. Keep food cold or frozen before putting it in the cooler.

*Wrap all foods separately in plastic. Don't place foods directly on ice that's not of drinking water quality.

*Keep raw meat, poultry or fish well wrapped so that drippings don't contaminate other foods.

*Don't put your cooler in a hot trunk. Keep it in the shade at your picnic or campsite. Keep the lid on.

*Keep food and utensils covered until serving time. Flies, and other insects and household pets can carry Salmonella.

*Keep hot foods hot. Use a thermos or insulated dish for serving.

*Wash your hands. Take along disposable hand towels to use before and after working with foods.

*Thoroughly cook all raw meat, poultry and fish. The center of hamburger patties should not be pink, the juices should run clear.

*Use a clean plate. Don't put cooked foods on the same plate that held raw meat or poultry.

*Remember the two hour rule. Return leftovers to your cooler as quickly as possible. Two hours is the maximum time food should be left unrefrigerated. If your ice has melted, discard perishable leftovers.

*Always marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter. If some of the marinade is to be used as a sauce on the cooked food, reserve a portion of the marinade. Don't put raw meat and poultry in it. Don't reuse the marinade used on raw meat or poultry unless it's boiled first to destroy any bacteria.

*Take your thermometer along. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns very fast on the outside, so be sure that they are cooked thoroughly. Check them with a food thermometer.

*Cook hamburger and other ground meats (veal, lamb, and pork) to an internal temperature of 160 °F and ground poultry to 165 °F. Beef, veal and lamb steaks and roasts may be cooked to 145 °F for medium rare. Whole poultry should be cooked to 180 °F as measured in the thigh; breast meat to 170 °F. All cuts of pork should reach 160 °F.