Written by Jenna Snider, MPH, Environmental Protection Specialist, Erie County Department of Health
Summer picnics are here! Swinging soirées with homemade potato salad, fresh cut watermelon, juicy burgers and…diarrhea? Vomiting? Fever and chills?
Most of us have experienced these symptom after a picnic at some point and blamed it on “too much dessert” or “one too many cocktails”. Did you ever think about the safety of the food and not the quantity that you consumed? Bacteria, viruses and parasites are out there lurking in our food, waiting to strike if we give them the opportunity. Every year, 76 million people get sick from something that they eat. We hear about the salmonella outbreaks in chicken and e.coli in hamburger, but we don’t readily think about the risks of poor hand washing by our neighbors hosting the block party or unsafe temperatures at the pig roast held by the in-laws. What can we do to prevent foodborne illness? Here are some simple ways to ensure the safety of your guests while they attend your gathering!
Wash Your Hands!
Think for a moment about everything your hands touch prior to preparing food. You pumped gas on the way to the store, rubbed your itchy eye, and opened your front door with the keys that fell on the floor (or worse). Your hands touch everything in the restroom, and everything in the kitchen… Wash the germs away!
Separate raw and cooked/ready to eat foods
Most of us are unnerved by that undercooked piece of chicken on our plates, but have you thought about where the chicken was prior to cooking? Ensure that any raw meats are stored in a different cooler than your cooked or prepared foods. Anytime raw juices or ice contaminated with the raw juices, come in contact with the top of a pop can or the pasta salad, you are exposing your guests to risky bacteria. Also, wash that platter that was carrying the raw steaks or burgers before you put the cooked steaks back on that same platter. Don’t allow your cooked food to touch the raw juices!
Ice, ice, and more ice!
Prior to cooking or serving, your food must be kept cold. Bacteria grow best at the warm summer temperatures of 90 to 100°F. Your food needs to be buried in the ice, not just sitting on top. When the potato salad sits on top of the ice, the bottom might be cold, but the rest of the huge bowl is sitting at room temperature, giving bacteria a great opportunity to grow.
Use Your Thermometer!
A good digital thermometer sells for $12 to $20 and can be purchased at any store that sells groceries or home items. Clean it in between uses, and this simple tool can save your life (as well as take the guesswork out of when the food is “done.”)
If you're sick, don't prepare food!
Foodborne illness is extremely contagious and spreads very easily from person to person. If you have been sick with diarrhea, vomiting, or sore throat with a fever DO NOT PREPARE FOOD! Let someone else make the food, order out, or reschedule! With these tips, you can try to ensure that your guests are safe at the end of the party and 24-48 hours after they leave!
