Dust off the Picnic Basket for Good Clean Fun

(ARA) - Nothing says summer quite like a picnic. What better way to enjoy the long leisurely days than with a meal outside with friends and family? But food storage issues can quickly turn a pleasant afternoon into a problematic situation. Warm weather can cause food spoilage and cross-contamination, but with proper care, the only worry you will have at your picnic is how to keep the ants away.

Dr. Vickie Vaclavik, a culinary instructor at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Dallas, says the first step is to pack your cooler correctly so the food arrives safely. To avoid cross-contamination, says Dr. Vaclavik, “have one cooler specifically for raw meat, fish, and poultry, and use a separate cooler for ready-to-eat foods and drinks.” If only one cooler is available, “seal any raw meat, fish, and poultry in plastic containers or plastic bags, since the raw juices are loaded with bacteria and can easily contaminate other foods.”

While driving to the picnic spot, keep your cooler on the floor of the car, not in the easily overheated trunk. A prime source of food-borne illness is keeping food at unsafe temperatures. Once you arrive at the picnic site, keep the cooler under a tree or bench to avoid direct sunlight. If the temperature exceeds 85 degrees Fahrenheit, do not let the food sit out on the picnic table for more than an hour, and put perishables back into the cooler immediately after eating.

Many picnics center around grilling. “Make sure meat, fish, and poultry are completely defrosted before grilling to allow for even cooking,” says Dr. Vaclavik. “When reheating at the picnic, bring a good thermometer and make sure the food reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Clean hands are also important when preparing picnic meals. If there is no running water nearby, use an antibacterial cleanser or wipe. Properly store any leftovers in plastic storage containers to keep them fresh and bacteria-free, and discard any food that has been sitting out for over two hours.

With these tips, your picnic will not only be fun, but it will be safe!

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Courtesy of ARAcontent