Summer Food Safety: Tips for Parents & Kids
Summer is here and it is time for pool
parties, BBQs, camping trips, hikes, and visits to the beach. Warm weather is
ideal for preparing and consuming meals outdoors; however, it also provides the
perfect environment for bacteria and other pathogens in food to multiply
rapidly and cause foodborne illness. Nothing puts the brakes on having a great
summer vacation quite like coming down with a case of food poisoning- or
needing to take care of a family member who has! Therefore, summer is the
perfect time to review the basic steps to food safety.
Eight Basic Steps to Summer Food Safety
Follow the suggestions below to prevent
food-borne illness, and discuss these concepts with your children. This is
especially important if they are preparing their own meals or snacks to eat!
1. Wash
hands thoroughly: Before handling any
food, make sure you wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20
seconds. Repeat this after you are done handling food, and any time you touch
raw meat.
2. Beware
of the “danger zone”: The “danger zone” in
food safety is the temperature range between 40°F and 140°F. In this range,
bacteria rapidly multiply and can reach unsafe levels after 2 hours, or 1 hour
if the temperature is at or above 90°F. If you have leftovers that haven’t been
eaten or refrigerated within 2 hours after being served (or 1 hour if at or
above 90°F), the food should be discarded.
3. Keep
cold foods cold, and keep hot foods hot: Keep cold perishable
foods at or below 40°F until you are ready to cook or serve. If you are away
from home, use a cooler filled with ice or ice-packs to keep perishable foods
at a safe temperature. After cooking, make sure to keep hot foods at least
140°F until they are ready to be served. Put perishable food items back in the
refrigerator or cooler once you are done using them.
* Tip: If using a cooler, open and close it as infrequently as
possible to avoid the exposure to warmer air. To help with this, consider
packing two coolers: one for perishable foods, and one for items which may need
to be accessed more frequently such as beverages. Keep coolers out of direct
sunlight.
4. Cook
to correct internal temperatures: Use a food thermometer
to determine whether meats are done cooking- do not rely on color alone! The
following chart provides safe minimum internal temperatures:
*
Tip: Insert the thermometer at the thickest part of the meat.
5. Keep
raw meats separate: Be careful when
transporting and storing raw meats, ensuring that juices from the raw meat do
not come into contact with fruits, vegetables, and other ready-to-eat foods.
Put raw meat into plastic bags, and keep it separate from other foods.
6. Use
separate trays and utensils: Never use the same
serving trays, cutting boards, or utensils for raw meats and cooked meats or
other foods. To avoid cross-contamination, always use clean plates and
utensils. Any item that has come into contact with the raw meat must be washed
with hot water and soap before it can be used again.
7. Marinade
meats safely: Marinating should be done in the
refrigerator, not on the kitchen counter or elsewhere. If you plan to also use
marinade as a sauce, set a portion to the side before adding any raw meats. Do
not re-use marinade that has been in contact with raw meats.
8. Wash
fruits and vegetables: Before cutting or
peeling, make sure that you rinse all produce with water.
For ideas on how to teach your children
about food safety, see the following resources:
- Food Safety Education for Kids and Teens- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Food Safety After School- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Contributor Katherine Greene, MPH, Cornell University. Found at eXtension
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