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| Sarah Motl, MS, RD, BMC Dietitian |
For many, picnics and barbecues are a huge part of celebrating the 4th of July. Consider these tips for keeping food safe at your holiday celebrations:
Transporting Food:
- Keep cold food cold: place cold food in a cooler with ice or frozen ice packs. Keep food below 40 degrees F.
- Keep coolers closed: once at the picnic site, limit how often the cooler is opened to help keep food colder, longer.
- Don’t cross-contaminate: be sure to keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood securely wrapped and separate from cooked/prepared foods such as salads, fruits, and vegetables.
- Marinate safely: marinate foods in the fridge, NEVER on the kitchen counter or outside. Don’t reuse marinade.
- Cook food thoroughly: Always make sure your food is cooked through and check temperatures with a food thermometer. Steaks need to be 145 degrees F, poultry needs to be 165 degrees F, and hamburgers need to reach 160 degrees F.
- Don’t reuse platters/utensils: don’t use the same platter that had the raw meat on it to serve your grilled meats.
- Keep cold foods cold: Cold foods should be kept in the cooler until it is time to serve. Cold food should not sit out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees.
- Keep hot foods hot: Hot foods should be kept above 140 degrees F. Place hot foods in an insulated container until serving. These foods also should not sit out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees.
- If any food sits out for more than 2 hours, throw it away.
From all your friends at Burnett Medical Center, we wish you a happy and safe 4th of July!
Information in this article is not meant to replace the advice of your personal healthcare provider.
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