Today, the Brown Clinic Physicians treated us to a picnic! It was a delicious meal and a fun time with co-workers! Dr. Dan, Dr. Cathy Gerrish, Dr. Ed Gerrish, and Dr. Larson are shown in the picture as they helped dish everyone’s plates up. Since today was really hot, we took extra precaution to ensure the food was kept safe and everyone stayed cool under canopies and tents outside. Outside picnics on hot days like today can really put your food at risk for development of bacteria due to the extreme heat. Since we have plenty of summer left to have many more picnics, I wanted to give you some tips on ways to avoid any foodborne illness from occurring.
1) Wash your hands! Take a few minutes before prepping, during food prep, and serving to thoroughly wash your hands. It is recommended to wash your hands for at least 30 seconds and be sure to get in between the fingers and around the nails. Hand sanitizer does not replace hand washing so if you are camping, be sure to bring a bucket of water and soap for hand washing. It is especially important to wash your hands after handling raw meat and in between handling other food sources such as vegetables to prevent cross contamination.
2) Wash your produce before the picnic: if you are going to be camping and running water is not readily accessible, wash your produce before leaving home. It’s especially important to wash the outsides of melons before cutting them as if there is bacteria on the outside, you will contaminate the whole melon as you cut your knife through. Package raw meats appropriately to ensure the juices do not leak on other foods.
3) Keep your cooler cool: keep plenty of ice in the cooler to ensure your foods are kept cold. Cold foods should be kept under 40 degrees F…so on hot days like today, it’s especially important to have plenty of ice and keep the cooler in the shade vs direct sunlight and heat. Packing your beverages in a separate cooler is also a good idea so that you can ensure your food items are fully kept cool.
4) Beware of the “Danger Zone”: The Danger Zone refers to the temps between 40-140 degrees F where bacteria can easily grow and reproduce. Keep your cold foods cool and your hot foods hot. Don’t let food sit out for more than 2 hours at a time and if it’s over 90 degrees, food can only sit out for 1 hour. Keep salads such as potato salad, etc under a bowl of ice to provide for extra cooling.
5) Use proper utensils and don’t cross contaminate: use separate plates and utensils for handling raw meat and the cooked meat. Do not put the cooked meat on the same plate you had the raw meat as this will contaminate your cooked food. In addition, use separate serving dishes, cutting boards, utensils, etc for your dishes…thus do not use the same cutting board for dicing your meat, cutting up your lettuce, and preparing your fruit salad!
6) Use a thermometer: by using a thermometer to check the temps of your foods in the cooler, when they’re cooked, etc, it will help prevent foodborne illness!
-Kelsey
