Join the fight against foodborne disease this Fourth of July. As summer heats up, picnics become a breeding ground for bacteria. Families prepare, cook and eat outside food. These safety tips will keep you safe.
Pledge Allegiance To Cleanliness
Before and after handling food, wash your hands.
Wash your hands with warm, running water. Turn off the tap to apply soap.
Use soap to lather your hands. Use soap to lather your hands between your fingers, under your nails, and on the back of your hands.
Rub your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Wash your hands under running, clean water.
Dry your hand with a paper towel or a towel.
You don’t have a tap at home. It would help if you always had bottled water, soap, and paper towels.
Use red, white, and blue cutting boards.
You can avoid cross-contamination by using different colored cutting boards for fresh fruits, veggies, cheeses, and raw meats.
Get Sparkling with Grill
When grilling for a picnic, make sure to cook meat and poultry to an internal temperature of 160 F. Whole cuts of meat should be cooked at 145 F. After a three-minute rest; poultry should be at 165 F. Fish should be at 145 F.
Land of the Freezer
To store food, pack coolers that contain bags of ice or gel packs. To ensure that food remains chilled below 40 F, use an appliance thermometer to check the temperature of your cooler.
