This is part of WTOP’s continuing coverage of people making a difference in our community, reported by Stephanie Gaines-Bryant. Read more of that coverage.
Picnic season can also be food poisoning season, if you’re not careful in how you store and serve foods during a family picnic.
If you’re serving foods, such as potato salad, coleslaw and macaroni salad, Britanny Saunier, executive director of the Partnership for Food Safety Education in Alexandria, Virginia, said make sure you have a cooler packed with ice all the way up to the rim to maintain the cold. If the ice begins to melt, replenish it immediately.
The organization recommends putting your drinks in a separate cooler so that you’re not frequently opening the cooler, Saunier said.
If you’re cooking proteins on a grill, Saunier said cooking times vary, so make sure you’re using a food thermometer.
“If you cook to that safe internal temperature of the proteins, it reduces the presence of any bacteria, which increases your chances of staying healthy,” she said.
Hamburgers should to160 degrees, chicken 165 degrees and pork 145 degrees.
How do you keep your perishables safe in the trunk of your car on a hot day after you’ve gone grocery shopping and have other errands to run?
“If it’s over 90 degrees Fahrenheit that day, we recommend you get your food home asap within an hour,” Saunier said.
Make home your next stop if you’ve purchased perishables on hot summer days. She said leaving perishables in your trunk for an extended period of time allows any lingering bacteria to enter your food or be on your packaging from other points of cross contact and multiply at a high rate.
Partnership for Food Safety Education is a nonprofit organization that gives information on how to handle your food safely at home, so you reduce your risk of food poisoning. Food poisoning can have very serious health impacts which can lead to kidney failure, rheumatoid arthritis and gastrointestinal issues.
To find out more about food safety, visit the Partnership for Food Safety Education’s website.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
