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Safe Food: It's Up To You!

Picnic Safely

Children love picnics. But remember, food spoils quickly in the summer heat. In hot weather it is especially important to pack food carefully to prevent food poisoning.

Here are some tips to help you prepare for safe and tasty picnics.

PLAN AHEAD

Take only the amount of food you'll use.
With a proper cooler and ice, most foods are safe for short periods of time.
Make several sandwiches at one time. Wrap each one by itself. Put all the wrapped sandwiches in a big plastic bag and freeze them. Simple sandwiches freeze best. Try using peanut butter, cheese, sliced meat, or poultry.
If you do not have a cooler, take fresh, canned or dried fruits, raw vegetables, hard cheese, canned or dried meats or fish, dry cereal, bread, peanut butter, crackers, or cookies.

PACKING POINTERS

Start with cold food packed right from the refrigerator or freezer.
Pack all food in clean plastic wrap or sandwich bags.
Use an insulated cooler if you have one.
Include a cold source in the cooler or picnic basket, such as commercial ice packs or make your own by placing ice cubes in a plastic bag, then wrap the bag in foil.
Make sandwiches ahead and freeze them--place frozen sandwiches in the cooler or bag, sandwiches will thaw by lunchtime. Pack lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise in separate containers. Add them to sandwiches just before eating.
Freeze small cans or boxes of juice, yogurt, or applesauce-they will thaw by lunchtime.
Keep frozen food such as hamburgers, in the cooler.
Keep cold fruits in the cooler.
Pack cold infant formula in an insulated cooker with a source to keep it cold.
Keep hot foods hot with a thermos or insulated dish.

AT THE PICNIC

Keep the cooler in the shade. Don't leave it in direct sunlight or in the trunk of the car.
Keep the lid on the cooler and avoid frequent openings.
Add more ice if it begins to melt.
In hot weather, food should not sit out for more than an hour.
Serve food quickly from the cooler.
Serve small portions so the food doesn't stay out of the cooler too long.
If you plan to prepare food at the site: Keep food cold until you're ready to grill it.
Cook food completely at the picnic site--no partial cooking ahead.
Cook food thoroughly.
Red meat and poultry should not be pink; juices should run clear.
Fish should flake with a fork.
Use a clean plate to serve cooked food.
Be careful that raw meat juices don't touch other foods.

RULES FOR SAFE FOOD

Keep hot food hot and cold foods cold.
Cover food to keep out bacteria and dust.
Never leave food at room temperature for more than a total of two hours. Food spoils more quickly in the summer heat. Don't leave food sitting out on the picnic table.
When in doubt, throw it out!

Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. (1993). Safe Food: It's Up To You. In M. Lopes (Ed.) CareGiver News (June, p.2). Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension.