Summer Safe Food Handling Tips

Picnic and BBQ season bring lots of opportunities for outdoor fun with family and friends, but with the warm weather also comes opportunities for foodborne bacteria to thrive.  As food heats up in the summer temperatures, bacteria can quickly multiply.
 
Pack and Transport Food Safely

• Keep cold food cold – place it in a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs.
• Organize cooler contents. Pack drinks separately, that way as you open and reopen the drink cooler, the perishable foods won’t be exposed to warm temperatures.
• Keep coolers closed.  Limit the number of times the cooler is opened.  This helps to keep the contents cold longer.
• Don’t cross contaminate.  Be sure to keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood securely wrapped.  This keeps their juices from contaminating prepared/cooked foods or foods that will be eaten raw, such as fruits and vegetables.
• Clean produce.  Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water before packing them in the cooler.  Dry them with a clean cloth towel or paper towel.

 
Safe Grilling Tips

• Marinate safely in the refrigerator – never on the kitchen counter or outdoors.  Don’t reuse marinade.
• Cook food thoroughly.  Have your food thermometer ready.  Always use it to be sure your food is cooked thoroughly.
• Don’t reuse platters or utensils. Using the same platter or utensils that you previously used for raw meat, poultry or seafood allows bacteria to spread to the cooked food.  Instead, have a clean platter and utensils ready to serve your food.
• Check for foreign objects in food.  If you clean your grill with a bristle brush, check to make sure that no detached bristles have made their way into your food.

 
Outdoor Hand Cleaning
If you don’t have access to running water, use a water jug, some soap, and paper towels or consider using moist disposable towelettes for cleaning your hands.
 
Protect yourself and your family and practice safe food handling!
 
 
The Temagami Medical Centre and Family Health Team ...
committed to keeping you as healthy as possible!