Food Safety Tips for An Amazing Summer!

Food-borne illnesses are most common in summer. With higher temps and sometimes ‘not so ideal’ conditions, such as camping or a maybe a long road trip, bacteria growth reigns supreme.

Here are some great tips to keep your summer plans on track and most importantly safe!

1. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat and vegetables to reduce the chance of cross-contamination. Harmful bacteria present in raw meat and poultry can contaminate even cooked food.

2. Keep perishable food cold until ready to use. 

3. Never use tongs or utensils that have touched raw meat or poultry to serve cooked food.

4. Camping – Keeps foods cold!  A block of ice last longer than ice cubes.  Empty milk cartons filled with water and then frozen are a great alternative to ice cubes or purchasing block ice in the store.  Also, fuller coolers tend to stay cooler longer.

5. Put cold drinks in a separate cooler.  This will help minimize the number of times the cooler is opened, thus keeping the food cooler colder longer.

6. Don’t reuse marinades.  This will prevent raw meat juices getting onto your cooked food. 

7. Cook food thoroughly.  Using a thermometer gives you the best results in determining whether your meat is under or overcooked.

8. Throw out leftovers.  Perishable items left out for two or more hours should not be consumed.

9. Thaw and marinade food in the refrigerator.

10. Keep things clean, including your hands!