Summertime Food Safety Tips

With summertime and summer holidays right around the corner, many of us will be having outdoor parties and barbeques, so knowing the proper ways to handle food outside will benefit everyone and ensure no one leaves your party feeling sick from eating spoiled food that has been left out in the heat too long.

If you plan on barbequing it is always a good idea to store the meat you will be cooking in a separate cooler to keep the meat from contaminating other foods if the juices leak from the meat. It is also a good idea if you freeze the meat beforehand and then let it thaw in the cooler. Always check the temperature of cooked meat using a food thermometer. Hamburgers should be cooked at an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Use two sets of tongs: one to transfer raw meat to the grill and for flipping meat while cooking and the other set for cooked meat.

Keep perishable items such as, lunchmeats, cheese, potato salad, and condiments in a cooler separate from drinks so the perishable items will stay cold longer since a cooler holding drinks will be opened more often allowing for the cold to escape faster. Also, be sure to place the coolers in as shady a spot as possible to keep the heat from the direct sunlight from melting the ice too quickly.

Do not leave perishable food sitting out for more than one hour, as it will start to accumulate bacteria and spoil if left out longer than this, especially on those really hot days.

Fruit salad is a popular dessert in the summertime months; however serving whole, fresh fruit may be a better substitute, as fruit salad tends to attract bees and other bugs.

If your outdoor barbeque or party is in your, or someone else's backyard, hand sanitation shouldn't be a problem as there will be sinks and soap nearby to wash hands. However, if your barbeque is elsewhere, such as at a park, restrooms may be few and far between and, honestly, they aren't all that clean anyway and most park restrooms do not have soap dispensers, so packing wet wipes and hand sanitizer, and using them often, would be beneficial to you as well.

While food safety is very important, especially during the summer, it is also important to make sure everyone has fun! Keeping the above tips and suggestions in mind when planning an outdoor party will help to ensure that everyone leaves your party happy and healthy.