FOOD SAFETY IN SUMMER HEAT

Summertime is full of picnic dates and barbeques. It’s also a time of year to take extra precautions with food safety. Cases of food borne illness, also known as food poisoning, tend to increase during the summer for two reasons: 1) food borne bacteria grow fastest from 90 to 110°F and in high humidity, since they need moisture to multiply; 2) folks eat outdoors in the summer, which eliminates the more “controlled” kitchen environment. This blog article will tell you ways to keep safe from illness and prevent food from spoiling while you enjoy it under the sun.

Preventing Food-borne Illness from Preparation to Storage:

Preparing:

·     Wash hands between each step of food preparation. Use soap and hot water. Wash hands, under nails, and up the arm.

·     Avoid cross-contamination. Clean surfaces between each step of preparation. If you are making hamburgers and preparing vegetables, wash surfaces (counters, cutting boards, knives, and utensils) after contact with each food. Wash surfaces with disinfectant soap and hot water.

·     Cook raw foods, especially meat, to proper internal temperatures. You can find those temperatures on this chart. 

·     Expiration dates do not reflect weather conditions. Mold sets in more quickly in warmer weather. If food looks spoiled or smells funny, don’t use it.

Serving:

·     Serve cold foods (chicken/egg/potato salad and desserts) in individual serving dishes set in shallow containers of ice.

·     Cover and protect foods from insects.

·     Keep coolers and food out of direct sunlight.

·     In temperatures above 90°F, food should never sit out more than 1 hour. In temperatures under 90°F, food should sit out for a maximum of 2 hours.

·     Keep cold foods cold. Store foods in a refrigerator or cooler to keep them at 40°F or below.

·     Keep hot foods hot. Place grilled meats on edge of grill away from coals to keep warm or place in a chafing dish.

Storing:

·     Throw away any food that was left out more than 2 hours. Most perishables should be thrown away after a picnic or BBQ, to be safe.

·     As soon as possible, refrigerate food in shallow containers. Extremely hot weather breeds more bacteria and food will spoil more quickly, causing food-borne illnesses to spread faster. Opened food should not sit out for more that fifteen minutes in extremely hot and humid weather, especially milk, cheese, eggs, condiments, mayonnaise, and meat. Keep these foods in a cooler or chilled over ice while serving. Quickly replace them in the cooler or refrigerator to keep them from spoiling.

Symptoms from food poisoning can appear as quickly as 30 minutes or as long as a couple days, but usually occur within 2-6 hours of eating the contaminated food. Here are symptoms to watch out for:

·     Abdominal cramps

·     Diarrhea

·     Fever and chills

·     Headache

·     Nausea and vomiting

·     Weakness

If you experience these symptoms, call your family doctor. There are tests to find out what bacteria are causing your symptoms. It usually takes a couple of days to get better. Drink lots of water and get plenty of rest.

Practice food safety this summer with family and friends so you can enjoy your picnics and BBQ’s in a healthy way!

Resources:

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