Safe Foods for Your Next Picnic

With the onset of warmer weather comes the excitement of taking the first picnic of the year. Outdoor picnics and barbecues are a fun way to go gather with family and friends and catch up on old times. The picnic will be successful as long as you have the right company, entertainment, and of course the food is delicious. Of course delicious food also means serving safe food. Every year many picnickers get food borne illness due to not following the appropriate food safety tips. There are ways to keep food borne illnesses at a bare minimum as long as you follow these simple tips.

Meats

The sky is the limit when it comes to what meat to pack and prepare for your outdoor cookout. Keep the meat adequately refrigerated until departing to the cookout. Place the well sealed meat in a cooler with ice packs below and above the meat. Simple placing an ice pack on one side of the meat will not suffice. Also consider the packaging of the meat. Many cuts of meat should be double wrapped or sealed in another extra zip lock bag as the store wraps tend to leak bacteria laden juices. Consider bringing extra plates or containers to set the meat once cooked since you cannot re-use the raw meat containers or plates to rest the finished product.

Consider using meats that do not emit a lot of blood or juice such as hot dogs, sausages, or even ground beef patties. Other meats to consider would be pre cooked meats such as "cold" fried chicken and deli meats for sandwiches. These meats will eliminate the need to bring cooking supplies if you are not concerned with hot food during your festivities.

Salads

Salads that are spoiled can really deter participants from wanting to picnic with your group ever again. Mayonnaise based salads need to be kept cold in an air tight container and surrounded by plenty of ice packs. If possible prepare the salad the morning of your picnic and pack in the container just prior to departure. Bacterium that is present in mayonnaise based salads is often produced not by the mayonnaise but the sliced and cut vegetables (e.g. onions and celery) added to the salad. These extra ingredients should be thoroughly washed prior to cutting. Also be sure to wash cutting board thoroughly between cutting each vegetable.

There is no rule stating you have to bring salads to go with your burgers or dogs. Consider bringing dry ingredients such as chips or cracker to eliminate the need for extra cold storage space.

Fruit and Vegetables

The last thing people suspect as being culprits to food borne illnesses are fruit. Most illnesses from contaminated fruit are a result of not thoroughly washing the exterior of the fruit prior to cutting. The unwashed fruit will carry bacteria from the outside to the inside when sliced. This will not only contaminate the whole bag or container of fruit, but also any other food that comes in contact with it. Take precaution with such fruit as watermelon, cantaloupe and honey dew by thoroughly washing the outside. Fruits such as oranges and apples should be packed "whole" and eaten as such. If fruit salad is on the menu for the day, prepare the salad the morning of the picnic and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator just prior to departure. Make sure to pack ice packs all around the salad.

Desserts

The safest dessert option for a picnic is preferably a dry baked good. Consider bringing a container of home baked chocolate chip cookies or a tray of brownies. These finger foods are not only safe to eat, but easy to serve as there is no need for additional serving ware They can also be packed outside the cooler which will save you some valuable space for the perishable items.

Drinks

Consider bringing non-dairy beverages for your participants as these are very susceptible to spoilage in extreme heat. Good examples of picnic beverages would be prepared iced teas, lemonades, and juices. The beverages should be kept in their own cooler and if self contained (e.g. soda or juice cans) can be immersed in a pile of ice within the cooler. If you are planning on serving your beverage in cups over ice, make sure to pack a separate bag of ice dedicated for such use. Avoid using the same "packing" ice to add to your drinks as this could cross contaminate your drink if people are handling ice with unwashed hands.

Hygiene

Please pack plenty of napkins, towels and hand sanitizer for your picnic excursion. If possible, try and arrange your picnic in an area that has hot and cold running water and available soap. Hand washing alone prevents many food borne illnesses. Handling food whether as the cook or the diner will require clean hands.