How to avoid food poisoning at Memorial Day barbecues and picnics

The Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial beginning of summer, and as the weather gets warmer, so do the number of meals served outside. Whether you’re at the beach or barbecuing, food should be served safely to avoid food poisoning.

“The bacteria that cause foodborne illness love the summertime as much as we do because they thrive and multiply quickly in warmer temperatures,” Emilio Esteban, Ph.D., undersecretary for food safety for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said in a statement. “This causes illnesses to spike during the summer.”

Here are food safety tips from the USDA to keep you and your friends and family safe:

Wash hands

Start with clean hands. If running water is available, wet hands, lather with soap, scrub for 20 seconds, rinse and dry. If there’s no running water, use hand sanitizer or moist small towels that contain at least 60 percent alcohol.

Pack perishables safely

When traveling with perishable food to the pool, the beach, a summer camp, a hike, or a cookout, always use cold sources in coolers or insulated containers to keep food at a safe, cold temperature below 40 F. Cold sources include ice, frozen gel packs, and frozen beverages such as water bottles, iced tea, and juices like apple and grape. More cooler tips:

• Pack beverages in one cooler and perishable food in another. The beverage cooler may be opened frequently, causing the temperature inside the cooler to fluctuate and become unsafe for perishable foods.
• Keep coolers and insulated bags in the shade, out of the sun.
• Be aware full coolers or insulated bags will keep your perishable foods cold and safe for much longer than half-full ones.
• Place an appliance thermometer, used for the refrigerator or freezer, in the cooler so you can check to be sure the food stays at 40 F or below.

Keep out of the danger zone

The danger zone is the temperature range where bacteria multiply rapidly between 40 and 140 F. Perishable foods, including meat and poultry, sliced fruits and vegetables, and cooked side dishes, should avoid the danger zone or be kept hot or cold to maintain food safety.

• Cold foods need be kept at 40 F or below by placing them in the refrigerator, coolers, insulated containers, or nestled over ice.
• Hot foods need to be kept over 140 F by placing them on the grill, in heated chafing dishes, slow cooker, or warming trays.

Check the temperatures of cold and hot items frequently.

Follow the two-hour rule

Foods that are kept hot or cold out of the danger zone or don’t sit out for more than two hours – one hour if more than 90 F – are safe to keep. Any other items are unsafe and need to be discarded. When in doubt, throw it out.

Reach out if you have food safety questions

Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854, email [email protected], or chat at www.ask.usda.gov.