When you have to plan a picnic, or day activities at the beach, picnics, or barbecues, it is very important to take some precautions for storing the food you are going to eat.
Here are some tips for
packing and moving food safely:
- Keep cold food refrigerated
Place cold food in a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs. Cold foods should be kept at 40°F (4.4°C) or below. If moving raw meats to the grill, they can be
packaged while still frozen to keep them cold longer.
- Organize the contents of coolers.
Consider packing beverages in one cooler and perishable foods in another. That way when picnic guests open the cooler, again and again, sensitive foods won't be exposed to the warm air temperature.
Once you arrive at the picnic site, limit the number of times each cooler is opened. This will help the contents stay cold for a longer period of time.
- Avoid contaminating food with other foods.
Be sure to keep
packages of meat, poultry, and fish tightly closed. This will prevent their juices from contaminating prepared/cooked foods or foods that are eaten raw, such as fruits and vegetables. Covered
containers for raw meats are always placed on the bottom. Better yet, manage
separate coolers for raw meats and ready-to-eat foods or beverage ice.
- Clean your fruits and vegetables beforehand
Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water before storing them in the cooler, even those with inedible peels and rinds. For fruits and vegetables with hard peels, rub them with your hands or scrub them with a clean brush while rinsing them with water. Dry them preferably with a
paper towel. Store in clean plastic bags or containers.
- Bring everything ready to serve.
As much as possible, bring food as close to ready to serve as possible. In this way, you limit additional preparation activities that may introduce contamination to the food when optimal handling conditions are more limited.
