All About Summer Food Safety

When you think of summer, what do you think of? Barbeques, swimming, vacations and kids comes to my mind. Oh, and those pesky little bugs that we all adore so ver much-mosquitoes! With summer time here, it is a good time to think about food safety. Because most barbeques are held outdoors and the food is usually prepared, eaten and stored outside, you are always faced with the challenge of keeping food safe. Food that is not prepared or stored properly can harbor bacteria and make you very sick.

You want to make sure that all work surfaces are clean before you start food preparation. Use a good antibacterial kitchen cleaner to wash down all countertops. Make sure to clean the area thoroughly after you are done preparing foods as well.

Wash, wash, wash! Wash your hands, work surface and utensils frequently while you prepare your food. After handling raw meat, poultry and eggs-wash your hands and utensils again. Wash all meats, fruits and vegetables off before preparing them. This will wash away any bacteria or pesticides that may be present.

Only thaw foods in the refrigerator unless it is sealed. If your food item is sealed, it can be thawed in a cold-water bath or microwaved if it is to be cooked immediately. Do not refreeze after thawing.

When cooling foods down, place the foods in shallow containers in the refrigerator. Try not to use large containers because dishes three inches or less in height work best. Always use a lid or siran wrap to cover your food in the refrigerator.

It is very important to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. Use iced down coolers or portable refrigerators for cold foods. Hot foods can be placed in buffet serving dishes to be kept hot. Foods at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit are considered in the danger zone and therefore prone to bacteria growth.

Cover foods to keep bugs off. Flies, mosquitoes, ants and other friendly insects are out in search of a quick meal too-use foil, siran wrap or lids to cover foods. Food nets are available for this purpose as well.

Most barbeques are carried on for several hours and the food is often left out on tables for "munching". For safety purposes, throw away any leftovers that have been left out for more than two hours.