To most people, summertime means picnics and barbeques. However, food sitting in the heat can aid in causing bacteria to rapidly multiply and lead to food borne illness. Since bacteria in food rarely changes the taste, the smell or look of food, it is very often difficult for anyone to recognize if it contains any harmful bacteria at all. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offers the following suggestions to help keep you and your family safe:
- Always wash your hands with soap and hot water for 20 seconds or more before handling any foods.
- If you need to thaw meat, put it in the refrigerator overnight. If you leave meat out too long, bacteria will grow.
- When it is party time, keep cold food cold and hot foods hot.
- Do you like your meat rare? If so, keep this in mind: There are a lot of bacteria in ground beef, which means you should really cook your burger well done – no pink in the middle.
- Whether food is hot or cold, it should be discarded within two hours of being served - only one hour if temperatures hit over 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Transport food in the passenger compartment of the car where it’s cooler—never in the trunk.
- Leftovers should always be stored in shallow containers and refrigerated or frozen within two hours of cooking.
- When using left overs, reheat the foods thoroughly to 165 degrees Fahrenheit or until hot and steamy.
- Never use a plate or utensil that previously held raw meat, poultry or seafood for serving.
- Avoid mayonnaise altogether to be on the safe side. Try a vinaigrette dressing for your salads instead.
Don't let a food illness ruin your summer barbeques or picnics. Food recalls happen every day, often from meat products. There is a great temptation to eat rare hamburgers and steaks, but that's like riding a motorcycle without a helmet. As long as nothing goes wrong everybody has fun, but the minute there is an accident or the one time your beef is tainted with e.coli, the fun ends. Summer barbecues are meant to be fun, so cook your foods until done and live to laugh another day.
When In Doubt, Throw It Out - There is one good rule of thumb when you're wondering if something that's been sitting out is still good, throw it out! Don't guess; just don't eat something that you're not sure about.
Shelly Thomson-Blevins - Shelly Thomson-Blevins is just a girl trying to balance love, life, and everything in between.
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