Food Safety

Tuesday, April 30, 2002

Boston --- With warm weather on the upswing, the urge to dine “al fresco” takes over. “There is nothing more enjoyable than eating outdoors in the summer in New England”, says Joan Salge Blake, MS, RD, LDN, a nutrition professor at Boston University’s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. “However, the last thing you want to pack in your picnic basket is a serving of food borne illness. The same kitchen safety precautions that you cook with at home should be used whether you are grilling along the Charles River or eating on your patio”, claims Blake.

Here are some summer food safety tips from the USDA and Sargent College’s Joan Salge Blake:

CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS

Wash your hands with hot, soapy water before you handle any food. Bring soap to the picnic area and paper towels if clean running water is available. If none is available, pack disposable washcloths or moist towelettes.

DON’T CROSS CONTAMINATE

When cutting raw meat, fish, and poultry, wash the cutting board and utensils thoroughly and before using them again for other raw or cooked foods. If you are cooking the meat at the picnic area, trim the meat in advance at home and place it in plastic, zip-closed bags. Place these bags in the bottom of the cooler sandwiched between plenty of ice or cold packs. “Placing the meat at the bottom will not only keep it colder but also prevent any meat drippings to come in contact with the other foods in the cooler”, says Blake. Other perishables can be placed on top of the meat with additional ice.

KEEP COLD FOODS COLD

“Park the cooler in the shade under the picnic table or shady tree, not basking in the hot sun, to help keep the perishables cold throughout your outing”, reminds Blake. Replenish the ice as soon as it begins to melt.

DON’T FORGET TO PACK THE FOOD THERMOMETER

“The only way to truly know if the meat or poultry is “done” is to stab it with a food thermometer”, claims Blake. According to the USDA, hamburgers should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, while ground poultry should reach 165 degrees F. Chicken breasts should reach 170 degrees F while dark meat poultry should reach 180 degrees F. The meat and poultry should be cooked completely at the picnic site. Partial cooking it at home creates a breeding ground for bacteria to multiple, setting the stage for food borne illness.

WHEN AT A LOSS, GIVE IT A TOSS

If a food has been left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, it needs to be tossed in the garbage. If the temperature is a steamy 90 degrees F or above, toss it out if it has been left out for more than 1 hour. Leftovers should be refrigerated or put back into the cooler on ice immediately after you are finished eating.

Boston University’s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences is an institution of higher education and research whose premier academic programs prepare dynamic health care professionals and whose research and leadership in the health and rehabilitation sciences is actively shaping health care. For more information about Sargent College and to learn about their degree programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, communication disorders, health sciences, athletic training, nutrition and rehabilitation counseling, visit http://www.bu.edu/sargent.