Summer is the perfect time for a backyard BBQ or picnic in the park, but warm weather also helps bacteria multiply quickly. Keep yourself healthy and your food safe with these tips from Avera Heart Hospital dietitian Bridgette Bienias, RD.
What precautions should people take when preparing outdoor food?
First and foremost would be hand hygiene, really trying to make sure that we are washing our hands frequently, trying to reduce that cross contamination.
What are ways people can avoid cross contamination?
Ways we can avoid cross contamination are by keeping utensils for raw foods for raw foods, same with cooked foods, make sure we are not putting something on the grill that is raw and then placing it on the same plate after it’s done cooking. And then we want to make sure our surfaces are cleaned and sanitized at all times, so if we are preparing foods on the counter, making sure our counters stay clean.
How long can food sit out before it becomes unsafe to eat?
When we are preparing foods for outdoors we really want to make sure that we keep them temperature controlled. If it reaches in the parameters of the danger zone, which is 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, that really promotes more bacterial growth. We really shouldn’t be leaving our foods out for more than 1 to 2 hours at a time, if it is longer than that, we really need to make sure that we are keeping it in those temperature parameters to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
Make the most of your outdoor event
It is definitely good to have fun at events outdoors but it’s good to keep food safety in mind, just to make sure everybody is staying safe and having fun with those around them.
