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R.J. Ignelzi of the San Diego Union-Tribune reminds the public that warmer weather might be ideal for outdoor feasting, but it also provides the perfect conditions for bacteria in food to multiply rapidly and cause food-borne illness.
“People’s concerns about food safety on picnics and in warm weather are justified,” says Patti Wooten Swanson, nutrition, family and consumer adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension Service of San Diego County. “At least 76 million people in the United States get food-borne illness each year. And 5,000 die from it a year.”…

Continue Reading Practice picnic food safety when feasting outdoors

Bev Walpole of the St. Thomas Times-Journal reports that as summer approaches and we begin to think of picnics, there are several things we should keep in mind so that we don’t have to add a bout of food poisoning to our memories of the event.
When planning your menu, choose foods that are less perishable, such as washed, fresh fruit, vegetables, breads, processed cheese or boxed drinks. Keep perishable foods like potato or macaroni salad, hot dogs, lunchmeat, cooked beef or chicken on ice packs in a cooler.
Avoid bringing hot foods. If you plan to barbecue at your picnic, keep raw meats separate from cooked foods, preferably in another cooler. Make sure all meats are well cooked. Be sure to bring enough utensils and trays so you don’t have to use the same ones that touched raw foods to handle cooked food. Most meat is cooked at 74 C.…

Continue Reading Picnic safely with your food