“Fire up the barbeque!”  “Grab the picnic basket!” “Let’s eat outside!”
Sound familiar?

Here are some tips for keeping your food safe in the warm weather

• Wash your hands.  Wash them well and often, using soap and water.  Wash after using the bathroom, before cooking, before eating, after changing a diaper and after petting or playing with a pet.
• Pack water for washing and cleaning.  Consider packing disposable wipes, hand sanitizer and paper towels for cleaning.
• Wash the surfaces where you will be preparing and cooking your food.
• Wash fruit and vegetables with cool running water.
• Marinate meats, poultry or fish in the refrigerator.  Don’t re-use the marinade.
• Separate raw food from cooked food.
• Wrap raw meats tightly to prevent their juices from coming in contact with other foods.
• Utensils or dishes that were used for raw food should not be used with cooked food.
• Make certain that food is cooked thoroughly.  Pack and use a meat thermometer. 
• Refrigerate and freeze food promptly.
• Keep hot food hot.
  • Set grilled foods to the side of the grill until you are ready to serve. 
    This will help to keep them hot.
• Keep cold food cold.
  • Pack cold foods in a cooler with plenty of ice or freezer packs.
  • Keep foods in the cooler at 40° or colder.
  • Replace ice as it melts.
  • Pack the cooler just prior to leaving home.
  • Transport the cooler in the coolest part of the car.
  • Store the cooler in the shade.
  • Consider separate coolers, one for beverages and one for food.
• Don’t leave food out for more than 1 hour in the warm weather and never leave food out for more than 2 hours.

Don’t have a cooler?  Think about packing fruits, vegetables, hard cheeses, canned or dried meats, dry cereal, bread, peanut butter or crackers.