This summer, many Michiganders will enjoy cooking and eating outdoors. District Health Department #10 (DHD#10), in collaboration with the Northern Michigan Public Health Alliance (NMPHA), wants to encourage everyone to enjoy the warm weather and outdoor meals responsibly with some helpful food safety tips.
The United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has compiled a list of food safety tips for eating outdoors that covers packing and transporting food, safe grilling tips, and serving food. Below are just some of the many helpful tips from the FDA. To see them all, please visit: https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-s....
Packing and Transporting
• Store cold foods in a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs. Cold food should stay below 40 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent bacteria from growing. It’s a good idea to pack meat frozen if possible.
• Don’t cross-contaminate your food. Make sure meats are securely wrapped so juices aren’t transferring from one to another. Keep your nonperishables in a separate container to help avoid additional contamination and reduce the number of times a cooler might be opened.
• Wash your produce before packing, even items with skins or rinds that you won’t eat. Scrub them under running tap water with a vegetable brush, and dry before packing. If they say they’ve already been washed or are ready-to-eat, then feel free to pack them without washing.
Safe Grilling
• Marinate foods in the refrigerator, never on the kitchen counter or outdoors. Don’t reuse marinade when cooking.
• Partial cooking is only safe when food can go on a hot grill immediately after. All food should be cooked thoroughly and to its safe cooking temperature.
• Once cooked, make sure the food stays hot until serving.
• Avoid reusing plates and utensils that have handled raw meats as this can allow bacteria to spread from raw to cooked food.
• Make sure there are no foreign objects in your food. When cleaning a grill with a bristle brush, it’s always good to make sure no bristles have found their way into your food.
Serving
• Keep cold food cold, and hot food hot. This helps prevent bacteria growth on food.
• Never let food remain in the “Danger Zone,” 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, for longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour if outdoors and the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Summer is finally here,” said DHD#10 Environmental Health Supervisor Lori Simon. “That means it’s a great time to refresh ourselves with food safety tips for outdoor cooking, especially if we’re planning on traveling with prepared foods. Follow these tips and safely transport, cook, and serve your favorite summertime food.”
