Summer Food Safety

By ​Charlotte M. Cantrell, 2016 Napa State Hospital Dietetic Intern

Barbecue and picnic season is quickly approaching as summer is right around the corner! When the weather warms up we have more opportunities for outdoor activities with family and friends; however we often forget about safe food handling. Below I will explain the importance of food safety in summer and will list practical tips to help protect you and your loved ones from foodborne illnesses (a.k.a. “food poisoning”).
 
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the prevalence of foodborne illness doubles during summer months... but why?

As temperatures rise, it is the perfect opportunity for foodborne bacteria to multiply and thrive. Most foodborne bacteria grow the fastest in temperatures ranging from 90 to 110 °F, our typical summer temperatures here in Solano County. Summer months can also be humid, providing moisture to help bacteria flourish. These scorching temperatures combined with humidity create the perfect combination to help foodborne bacteria multiply rapidly. When someone ingests this contaminated food, they may experience common food poisoning symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, nausea, fever, aches, and/or fatigue.
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I’m guessing that this is not the way you want to start your summer!

It is important to protect ourselves with safe food handling practices as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 48 million yearly cases of foodborne illnesses, and out of those 48 million, 128,000 Americans are hospitalized and 3,000 die after eating contaminated food. By practicing food safety, we can help dwindle these numbers.
 
As I keep mentioning, food safety is essential, especially during summer! Here are some practical tips on how to protect you and your family as the weather heats up:
 
1)CLEAN: Make sure to wash hands and surfaces often as unwashed hands are a major cause of foodborne illness.

• Wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food, after using the bathroom, handling pets, changing diapers, or whenever your hands feel dirty
• Wash dishes, utensils, cutting boards, and counters with hot soapy water after food preparation
• Rinse fruits and vegetables with water before eating, including the skins and rinds that are not eaten
• Clean the lids of canned goods before opening

 
2)SEPARATE: Cross-contamination during preparation, cooking, grilling and serving food contributes to foodborne illness.

• Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other foods in your grocery shopping cart, grocery bags, and refrigerator to prevent cross-contamination
• Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood
• Never place cooked food on a plate or cutting board that has previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs unless the plate has been washed in hot, soapy water
• Do your best to avoid raw meat coming in contact with ready-to-eat food

 
3)COOK: Protect yourself from harmful bacteria by safely cooking food to the correct temperature. Remember to keep hot food hot!

• Use a food thermometer to ensure the safety of meat, poultry, seafood, and egg products (these foods must be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria):

 
Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures
Whole poultry, poultry breasts and ground poultry: 1

• Ground meats: 160°F
• Beef, pork, lamb, and veal (steaks, roasts and chops): 145°F (allow to rest at least 3 minutes)
• Until hot food is served, keep at 140 °F or warmer
• Always allow standing time, which completes the cooking, before checking the internal temperature with a food thermometer
• Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil when reheating
• Cook meat and poultry completely at your summer barbeques or picnic sites because partial cooking ahead of time allows bacteria to survive and multiply, making it difficult to destroy in future cooking
• To keep food hot while grilling, set it on the side of the grill rack, not directly over the coals where it might overcook
• When grilling, always use clean plates and tongs to serve cooked food (never reuse items that have touched raw meat)

 
4)CHILL: Refrigerate food ASAP, because holding food at an unsafe temperature can cause foodborne illnesses. Remember to keep cold food cold!

• Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and other perishable foods within 2 hours of cooking or purchasing (refrigerate within 1 hour if the temperature outside is above 90° F)
• Until cold food is served, keep at 40 °F or cooler
• Never thaw food at room temperature. Defrost food in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave (food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately)
• Always marinate food in the refrigerator
• Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for faster cooling in the refrigerator
• Cold refrigerated perishable foods such as lunch meats, cooked meats, chicken, and potato/pasta salads should be kept in an insulated cooler packed with ice, ice packs, or containers of frozen water when transporting or holding (preserve the cold temperature of the cooler by replenishing the ice as soon as it starts melting and keep your cooler out of direct sunlight)
• Consider packing canned beverages in one cooler and perishable food in another cooler because the beverage cooler will probably be opened more frequently
• Serve cold food in small portions and keep the rest in a cooler before service

 
I hope these tips will help you and your family feel prepared as you head into summer. Be sure to keep the temperature danger zone (40-140°F) in mind when you are going to outdoor events. To be safe, you will want to keep cold foods at 40°F or below, and keep hot foods at 140°F or above. Foods are considered unsafe when they have been in the danger zone for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F. If you have any doubts about safe food handling this summer and whether or not something is safe to eat, don’t take a chance; when in doubt, throw it out!
 
Be sure to check out the below handout from choosemyplate.gov which gives 10 tips on how to be food safe:
Be Food Safe-10 Tips to Reduce the Risk of Foodborne Illness (English)
Be Food Safe-10 Tips to Reduce the Risk of Foodborne Illness (Spanish)
References:

• https://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/2011-foodborne-estimates.html
• https://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou/consumers/ucm109899.htm
• https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/foodborne-illness-and-disease/foodborne-illness-peaks-in-summer/
• https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/events/summervacations/
• https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/NR16-040.aspx
• https://www.choosemyplate.gov/ten-tips-be-food-safe