Don’t invite foodborne illness to your summer cookout

Summer months bring us together for all sorts of gatherings, most of which involve food! Unfortunately this is also when we see an uptick in foodborne illnesses because bacteria thrive when it’s warm. Think about a typical barbecue: it’s hot out with outdoor cooking, large amounts of food spread across picnic tables, and not a fridge or sink in sight. This is bacteria’s dream scenario.

Here’s how to outsmart bacteria and keep your gathering foodborne illness-free:

Chauffeur your food safely

Think of yourself as a chauffeur and your food as the highest maintenance member of a royal family. You’re going to transport it carefully and make sure the environment is just to its liking. Do not make eye contact (kidding).

• Pack drinks in one cooler and food in another. People at outdoor gatherings get thirsty and the constant opening and closing of a cooler is bad for food safety. We want the cold food to stay at or below 40°F until serving time.
• Don’t cross-contaminate. Like how you must keep your Aunt Barbara away from Aunt Patrice (#Quiltgate2023), keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood securely wrapped. You don’t want any raw meat juice on other foods.

Appoint a temperature czar

You want to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. Assign someone the role of temperature czar (bonus points if it comes with a badge). That food thermometer we told you to get? It’s the star of your picnic!

For cold foods:

• Keep cold food in a cooler at 40°F or below until serving time.
• Don’t let food sit out longer than 2 hours. If it’s 90°F or warmer, don’t let it sit out for more than an hour.
• This rule applies to cut fruits and veggies too! We often think to keep the ranch dip cold, but be sure to also keep a timer on your cut, chopped, or cooked fruits and veggies. Keep them cold or toss them if they’ve been sitting out for 2 hours.
• Serving tip we love: Take a shallow casserole dish or an aluminum chafing tray, fill it with ice, and nestle dishes on top. Give your round cake pans or muffin tins a second job by using them to make huge ice cubes! Replace ice as it melts.

For hot foods:

• Keep hot food at or above 140°F.
• Wrap it well and place it in an insulated container until serving. Does your park shelter have electricity? Slow cookers are great for maintaining hot temperatures.
• Like with cold food, don’t let food sit out longer than 2 hours. If it’s 90°F or warmer, don’t let it sit out for more than an hour.

Renew your license to grill

If grilling is part of your picnic plan, remember to:

• Marinate foods in the fridge. Never reuse marinades that have touched raw meat.
• Take advantage of the whole grill. Keep food that’s cooked but not yet ready to serve on the side of the grill rack. This keeps it hot until it’s time to eat.
• Never reuse plates or utensils that touched raw meat. Transfer grilled foods to clean plates after cooking.

Clean hands, full bellies, can’t lose

Like Scar or a scout troop leader, you’re going to be prepared. This means having soap, water, paper towels, and hand sanitizer at the ready.

Need to make your own hand washing station? All you need is a jug with a spigot (example), soap, paper towels, and a bucket to catch the water in. Want to make it fancy? Here’s how to craft one.

Don’t forget to throw extra napkins and serving utensils in your go-bag!

Bon Appétit!