Picnic and barbecue season offers many opportunities for outdoor fun with family and friends. These warm weather events also present opportunities for foodborne bacteria to thrive. As food heats up in summer temperatures, bacteria multiply rapidly.
To protect yourself, your family and friends from foodborne illness during warm-weather months, public health inspector Jessica Van Geffen recommends the following safe food handling tips when eating outdoors.
Tip 1: Keep hot food hot!
Remember that once food has been cooked to a safe internal temperature you need to keep it hot at 60C (140F) or hotter.
Tip 2: Keep cold food cold!
Use ice packs in the cooler to keep food cold and limit the number of times the cooler is opened to prevent it from warming up.
Tip 3: Organize cooler content!
Pack beverages and perishables in separate coolers.
Tip 4: Clean you produce.
Rise fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water before packing in the cooler, even those with skins and rinds that are not eaten.
Tip 5: Food safety begins with proper hand cleaning!
Before setting out your picnic feast and before eating, make sure hands are clean.
To help you remember and follow safe food handling practices this summer, the Huron County Health Unit is sponsoring a #safefood2go contest.
Van Geffen says “we want to hear all the public’s tips and tricks for keeping food safe when having a picnic or barbecuing at the local beaches or parks. We also want to see all the great locations within Huron County where people are picnicking.”
To enter, you must visit the Huron County Health Unit’s Facebook Page (facebook.com/huroncountyhealthunit) and under the #safefood2go tab share your favourite tip for keeping your food safe during the summer. Include a photo of your favourite Huron County, Ontario picnic spot for a bonus entry!
The #safefood2go contest offers entrants a chance to win one of two grand prize packages (value $600 each). Each prize package includes a WeberQ portable barbecue, Weber stainless steel BBQ tool kit, stainless steel cooler, promotional gift packs and a Sport Umbrella. One entry will be drawn on July 11, 2016, and the second draw will take place August 22, 2016.
Entries will be accepted until 11:59 PM Sunday, August 21, 2016. For complete contest rules see www.huronhealthunit.ca/contest.