Summer Time Food Safety


It's picnic and barbeque season.  Sometimes we get caught up in the fun of summer and forget about the importance of preparing, storing and cooking of food. 

St. Francois County Health Center would like for everyone to remember safe food handling techniques to help prevent foodborne illnesses when eating outdoors.

If you are having a picnic and are transporting foods always remember to:


  Keep cold food cold.  Put cold food in a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs.  Cold food
     should always be kept at or below 40 degreesF.  If possible, limit the time that the
     cooler is opened.
  Consider packing drinks in one cooler and perishable items in another.
  When items are frozen, meat, poultry and seafood pack together so they stay colder
     longer. Be sure to keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood securley wrapped so theirjuices
     don't leak out and contaminate other food items.
   Rub firm-skin fruits and vegegtables with a clean vegetable brush while running under
     tap water
   Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water even ones with skins or rinds
      on them.

While transporting hot food use these helpful tips:

If your on a picnic or transporting hot foods electricity is the easist way to warm up your food.
Simply plug in a crockpot, heating pad, bun warmer or hot tray and set to a temperature that
will keep the food at 140 degrees.  Just keeping the food warm is not enough, harmful bacteria
can begin to multiply between 40 degrees and 140 degrees F.  Check internal temperature of
food with a meat thermometer and covering your food with foil and placing it in an insulated
container will keep it warm and moist. 

If you are cooking foods such as hot dogs or hamburgers, steaks, chicken or ribs at a barbecue or picnic, it's best to make them in small batches and serve them immediately.
 
Foods can still be kept hot with the use of thermal containers. A large-mouth thermos works
well to keep beans or other liquid or semi-liquid foods hot. Simply preheat the thermos by pouring near-boiling water into it and letting it heat for a few minutes, then pour out the water and pour
in the food. If several different dishes are to be kept hot, put them into well-sealed containers
in a large ice chest--without the ice--when they are at their hottest, and pack the empty spaces with newspaper or towels or other clean, dry materials. Be sure to put a layer or two of towels
on top before closing the ice chest. The food will stay quite hot for at least an hour, using this method, often longer. If the containers in which the food is sealed remain air-and-watertight,
and the food was put into it at a very high temperature, no new bacteria can get in.

Perishable food should not be left out at room temperature longer than 2 hours.  If the temperature is over 90 degrees F, discard the food after 1 hour.





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