Picnics are a summer ritual. These are often held in locations outside major cities, an hour or more away, and in some cases, can become part of a camping trip. This is why food safety on the road is crucial. Here are some simple food safety rules:
If you are traveling over 30 minutes with perishable food (i.e. met, poultry, eggs, salad), place it in a cooler with ice or freezer packs. Have plenty of ice or frozen gel-packs on hand before starting to pack food. Pack perishable foods directly from the refrigerator or freezer into the cooler. Meat and poultry may be packed while still frozen. That way it stays colder longer. Also, a full cooler will maintain its cold temperatures longer than one that is partially filled, so pack the remaining space with more ice or with fruit and some nonperishable foods like peanut butter. Be sure to keep raw meat and poultry wrapped separately from cooked foods, or foods meant to be eaten raw such as fruits. For longer trips, bring two coolers - one for the day's immediate food needs, such as lunch, drinks or snacks, and the other for perishable foods to be used later in the vacation.Keep the cooler in the air-conditioned passenger compartment of your car, rather than in a hot trunk. Limit the times the cooler is opened. Open and close the lid quickly. Keep the cooler in a shady spot and covered with a blanket, tarp or poncho, preferably one that is light in color to reflect heat. For drinking water, bring bottled water or other canned or bottled drinks. Always assume streams and rivers are not safe for drinking. If you plan to camp in a remote area, bring along water purification tablets or equipment, available at camping supply stores. Keep hands and all utensils clean when preparing food. When planning meals, think about buying and using shelf-stable food to ensure food safety. Perishable food sitting outside for more than two hours is not safe. For food safety, the time frame is reduced to just one hour if the outside temperature is above 90°F. Eating anything that has been sitting in the hot sun is an invitation for food borne illness. For more food safety information call the toll-free United States Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1 (800) 535-4555. (in the US only). source: travelproduct.com |
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