Summer Food Safety Tips for a Healthy Family
The summer season brings many joys to families, but it also can bring lots of dangers to your family’s health if you aren’t careful. Remember these summer food safety tips and keep your family safe all season long!
Wash Your Hands
Eating is one of the great pleasures in life, but it can also be a time when illness can be passed to others. Now that we're in summer and people are out enjoying themselves on picnics, at the beach, and grilling out back, there's an increased risk of foodborne illness. Don't let your good time get ruined by something as simple as not washing your hands! To stay healthy this summer make sure you always wash your hands:
- When preparing food
- After touching animal waste or anything else with fecal matter
- After using the bathroom
- After playing outside
Avoid Cross-Contamination
*Replace sponges and dish rags with disposable alternatives. Keep all raw meats, vegetables, and seafood separate from other foods by using separate cutting boards, knives, tongs, plates, pans and utensils. *Don't let raw food touch cooked food. Don't use the same serving spoon to move both raw and cooked food or to taste them (use one spoon for tasting only). *Keep raw meat away from ready-to-eat foods; keep it in the original packaging or wrapped tightly in a plastic bag before refrigerating. *Cook foods to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit as measured with a reliable cooking thermometer. *Use a clean surface when preparing food. Make sure there is no fat, water or other fluids on the surface before preparing fresh foods. *Prepare cold foods like salads and sandwiches at least four hours in advance so they have time to cool down in the refrigerator; store cold prepared dishes at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below and hot ones at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Use different containers for holding cold versus hot items.* Refrigerate perishables within two hours after buying them. Eat leftover perishable food within three days or freeze it promptly.*Wash hands thoroughly before handling any food item and frequently throughout the day. Wash fruits and vegetables under running tap water or scrubbing with a produce brush before eating, peeling, slicing, dicing, etc. Dispose of anything that has been left out longer than two hours (including garbage) without reheating it first. Heat large quantities of soup or chili in smaller portions over medium heat so it doesn't boil over. If you do boil over, turn off the burner and start again once your pot has cooled enough to be touched safely. When boiling corn on the cob or pasta, always leave enough room for boiling water to escape from the pot if you accidentally set your stove too high. When storing leftovers, place individual servings into shallow containers rather than leaving everything piled up in one container because this will prevent moisture loss while preserving vitamins and nutrients. Get kids involved! Teach children about basic food safety practices such as not licking their fingers, wiping their faces with a napkin instead of their hand, and not blowing on their meal before taking a bite. Keeping kids safe is really simple: just remember the 4 F's: Frequent hand washing, good personal hygiene (such as bathing), frequent kitchen cleanup, and cooking foods fully! Remember to check the use by dates on canned foods and prepare them according to their labels. Leftover food should never be stored for more than two hours before being placed in the fridge. Last but not least, make sure you don't drink from a bottle of soda or juice and then eat food. The sugary beverage can transfer bacteria onto the food and cause illness in some people. Plus, it is not healthy to mix these two types of beverages.
Cook Thoroughly
Always cook meat, fish, eggs and vegetables until they are well done. Avoiding rare or undercooked meats because they are not as safe, especially during the summer months when it's more likely that food will be contaminated with bacteria such as E. coli and Listeria. Make sure to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly with tap water or any fruit- and vegetable-wash product before eating them raw, making juice out of them or adding them to salads. To prepare salads properly, toss ingredients together in a large bowl instead of immersing the greens in dressing; this way you can better control what gets tossed together with what and also limit the amount of time any ingredients have to soak in dressing. When cooking, make sure your hands are clean before handling any uncooked meat or seafood. Never use the same plate or utensil to handle cooked foods and then touch uncooked foods without washing it first. And don't forget that all produce should be washed with either fresh water from a faucet or cold running tap water (not hot) before using them in salads, cut up into pieces for sandwiches, put into smoothies, etc., after which those items should be rinsed again just to make doubly sure no bacteria remains on them. When traveling, pack raw meats separately from other foods in a cooler bag filled with ice packs and store anything that is perishable at the bottom. If you plan on taking along breads or dairy products, store them above these things so they won't get soggy from melting ice packs. When returning home, discard any perishables immediately if their temperature has exceeded 40 degrees Fahrenheit since being left outside for two hours or more. Cook bacon only partially to avoid its fatty acids seeping into the pan and contaminating other foods like eggs or pancakes. Cook bacon fully, but let it cool before storing it in the fridge or freezer, otherwise harmful bacteria could spread throughout your refrigerator. It's best to keep everything away from direct contact with one another: Raw chicken shouldn't sit next to anything else that hasn't been cooked yet because there could be cross-contamination of harmful bacteria onto those unprepared dishes - even though they were never actually touched by one another! You can do this by setting aside a separate cutting board for raw chicken and covering it with plastic wrap when not in use. Be careful with buffet tables or buffets at potlucks, too. Cross-contamination can happen easily here, and everyone who handles the serving spoons or plates beforehand needs to wash their hands afterwards. Remember to stay hydrated and maintain hand sanitizer with you while outdoors to protect yourself from infection. The most important thing to remember is that all precautions must be taken and every precautionary measure should be used. For example, pregnant women should be extra cautious about food safety, as the bacteria present in some foods can cause birth defects or miscarriages. Other people with weakened immune systems, including infants and the elderly, should also be aware of what they're consuming and when. These individuals should make sure to follow these guidelines strictly to minimize any chances of getting sick from improper consumption of tainted foods. In short, it's always safer to err on the side of caution and use extra precautions than it is to risk getting sick from a preventable illness or death because you didn't take care with your meal preparation or kitchen sanitation. That's why it's crucial to be vigilant when it comes to food and make sure that the environment in your kitchen is as clean as possible. So for this summer, go ahead and have fun with all the great meals you've prepared for your family, confident in the knowledge that you did everything you could to make sure they are safe and delicious. It's important to know the proper temperature for meat (160 degrees Fahrenheit) and poultry (165 degrees Fahrenheit), since letting it get hotter than this will increase bacterial growth which increases the chance of foodborne illnesses. Make sure to keep perishables chilled below 40 degrees Fahrenheit and fresh meats refrigerated below 30 degrees Fahrenheit until ready to cook them. Refrigerators need about two inches space between items; this helps slow down deterioration and prevents toxic substances from building up in the air pockets.
Keep Meat and Seafood Separate From Vegetables
It's important to store foods properly when they're hot and cold. Separate meats from vegetables and make sure to store meats on the bottom shelf of the fridge or in the freezer compartment. Remember, meat is cooked so it should be refrigerated at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or less and will spoil if left out at room temperature. Seafood like shrimp can stay on top shelves of the fridge or in the door but should not be near any produce which can create cross-contamination with raw seafood. Fish that has been cooked should also be stored in the refrigerator, preferably on the lower part of the shelf where it won't contaminate other food items. Packaged foods should never be opened and then put back into the refrigerator without first cooling them down; this creates an ideal environment for bacteria growth. Raw fish products like sushi should always be eaten right away or wrapped tightly before refrigerating to prevent bacteria growth as well. The same rule applies to eggs, shellfish, deli meats, fruits and vegetables. Refrigerate after Purchase: Plan ahead by purchasing only what you need for a day or two and use small quantities rather than large quantities of anything perishable. If you have more than you'll use within one or two days, buy smaller amounts to decrease your risk of spoiling any extra food items. Wash Your Hands: Whether preparing food for yourself or your family members (especially kids), it's important to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water beforehand because handling uncooked foods poses a risk of infection if hands are not clean before coming into contact with them. Use separate cutting boards for each type of ingredient: Meat and poultry should never come into contact with any type of fruit or vegetable since raw meat juices could cause contamination. To avoid potential problems, it's wise to set up different chopping boards for different types of ingredients and keep everything separated accordingly until cooking time. For even more protection against bacteria, don't touch the outside surface of ready-to-eat foods either - just grab from the inside. Know When Something Has Gone Bad:
Forget the one sniff test - just toss out anything that looks or smells off even if you think it might still be safe to eat! Spoiled food doesn't just emit foul odors, it may also contain bacteria that can cause serious illness such as vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and fever. Pay attention to these signs of spoilage: soft spots on fruits or vegetables, slimy textures on meats or eggs and milk that's past its expiration date. Don't forget about your drinks either! Unopened bottles of soda should be consumed within four hours for best quality while bottled juice shouldn't last longer than three days once opened. Store canned goods like soup in a cool dry place away from sunlight and heat sources such as ovens and stoves while jars containing jams, jellies or pickles should be kept sealed tight at all times to avoid bacterial growth.
Keep Cool
Pack a cooler or use an insulated lunch bag and ice packs to keep food cold. Foods should be eaten within four hours if stored at room temperature. Plan ahead by packing lunches and snacks the night before so that you're less likely to head out without breakfast. Finally, always wash your hands with soap and water after handling food. One of the easiest ways to protect yourself against germs is simply washing your hands with soap and water after handling food. You can also prevent illness by avoiding eating raw fruits and vegetables that might have been exposed to soil and pesticides, sticking to cooked meats instead of raw ones (unless they are labeled as sushi grade), washing produce thoroughly in running water and using separate cutting boards for meats. It's important to remember that many viruses live on kitchen surfaces like counters, stoves and cutting boards so it's important to keep them clean. For more information about protecting your family from foodborne illnesses this summer, visit the Centers for Disease Control's website. For more information about keeping food safe this summer, follow these tips: Keep Cool: Pack a cooler or use an insulated lunch bag and ice packs to keep food cold. Remember foods should be eaten within four hours if stored at room temperature. Plan ahead by packing lunches and snacks the night before so that you're less likely to head out without breakfast. Finally, always wash your hands with soap and water after handling food. One of the easiest ways to protect yourself against germs is simply washing your hands with soap and water after handling food. You can also prevent illness by avoiding eating raw fruits and vegetables that might have been exposed to soil and pesticides, sticking to cooked meats instead of raw ones (unless they are labeled as sushi grade), washing produce thoroughly in running water and using separate cutting boards for meats.
Don’t Leave Uncooked Food Out
If you’re barbecuing food, don’t leave any uncooked food sitting around. Raw meats should never be out at room temperature more than one hour. Always put cooked meats back in the fridge as soon as possible, and cover them with a clean dishcloth or aluminum foil to prevent off-flavors from developing or bacteria from spreading. Don’t use the same utensils to prepare raw and cooked foods, and keep your grill clean by brushing with oil before cooking and cleaning it well after grilling to avoid cross-contamination of raw foods with cooked foods. In addition, always remember to wash your hands after handling meat. Use separate cutting boards for produce and meat (or, if you have only one board, make sure to wash it thoroughly). Be mindful of where all surfaces are so that they are not touching both raw meats and produce. And finally, make sure that your perishables are stored correctly in the refrigerator: eggs need to be refrigerated within two hours; cut fruit needs to be refrigerated within 30 minutes; take out leftovers immediately when cooled down; leftovers need to be refrigerated within two hours. These summer food safety tips will help protect your family this summer! Remember, barbecue foods can't stay out for longer than an hour, cook once cool. All other perishable items must be chilled within an hour or two. Wash your hands every time you touch anything from the grill and after handling raw meat. Remember that hot air is also a hazard--keep cold food on top shelves of the fridge and work up towards the top shelves--this way hot air doesn't lower the cold temperatures. Keep in mind that cooked dishes should go into Tupperware right away because cold temperatures will create ice crystals which causes freezer burn and makes dishes unappetizing! When preparing fruits and vegetables, try not to slice too many pieces at once because there is less chance of contamination. Eat It Quickly: Produce like lettuce and spinach should be eaten quickly after purchase due to their high water content, whereas apples can last for weeks without being contaminated. Most fruits are best kept in the fridge until just before eating but bananas do better on countertops since they ripen quicker than most other fruits. Vegetables also last much longer outside of the fridge since their cells do not break down as quickly as those found in fruits. Make sure everything is sealed tightly so that no bugs or moisture get inside!
Clean Fruits and Vegetables Beforehand
Washing produce will remove germs and make sure you're not cutting into any bacteria that may be present. If you can't thoroughly wash your produce, like strawberries or apples, run them under cool water and use a paper towel to wipe off the dirt. Don't forget to cut away any bruised areas too! Be sure to dry your fruit or vegetables with paper towels before using them. You don't want any germs left on them! Here are some more summer food safety tips:
Refrigerate all cooked meat, poultry, seafood and eggs promptly: Make sure these foods are refrigerated within two hours of cooking so they do not go bad. Do not let meats sit out at room temperature for longer than two hours. Use clean dishes and utensils when preparing food: For this one we have another helpful tip--wash anything that is used in the preparation of food such as dishcloths or sponges at least once a day so they don't contain any harmful bacteria from contact with raw meat. Clean all surfaces where food is prepared: You'll need some soap (or bleach) to get those down! Wash hands well after handling raw meat: When handling meat, remember to wash your hands after touching it. Avoid cross-contamination by cleaning and sanitizing counters and other surfaces that come in contact with uncooked meat: As long as you follow these simple steps you should be good to go! Have a great summer everyone! Remember to practice safe food habits to keep your family healthy! Follow these tips to stay safe and happy this summer. It's important to always check the expiration date on food items before buying them, because most products are only good for about three months past their expiration date. Keep an eye out for signs of spoilage - if there's mold on something, toss it immediately! Always check fresh cuts of meat like steak or chicken and discard if there is any blood running around - the red liquid usually indicates that your meal has gone bad. Lastly, always wash fruits and veggies with cold water before eating them - even if you bought organic produce sometimes pesticides still linger around. Be mindful of how much time you leave food out - if you can't eat it right away put it in the fridge to avoid spoilage. Always wash your hands before handling any foods to avoid spreading disease, especially since many viruses can live on kitchen surfaces for up to eight hours!
Phew, that was a lot of information but hopefully now our readers know what precautions they need to take during the hot summer months! What are some of your favorite healthy recipes? Share below and I'll share mine too :)
