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Food Borne Illness: Not This Year! By: Jonathan Bille  |
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 Summer is here which for many of us will mean a season of out outdoor picnics and parties. But you’re not the only one with parties to go to, summer picnics often have unwelcome and uninvited guests. Bacteria that cause food-borne illness are often regulars at the summer picnic.
The reason is not just because bacteria grow faster in the warm weather but because we so drastically change our eating habits in the summer. To help prevent food borne illness this summer, consider the following suggestions:
Use soap. I know your thinking that this states the obvious, but washing your hands after handling raw foods and before you eat can greatly cut down on the chances of contamination.
Refrigerate. Again it seems obvious but always keep you food refrigerated or in cooler. If you don’t have a cooler, at least keep your food in the shade and out of the sun. It’s also a good idea to keep the products you need to access regularly in a separate cooler. Also, you should keep raw meats separate from you r other food products.
Keep surfaces clean and salads cool. Make sure when you set out your food that all surfaces have been thoroughly clean, especially if you will be cutting fruits and vegetables. Also, be sure to keep you salads cool when putting them out on the table. One of the best ways is to put your salad bowls inside larger bowls filled with ice. Keep checking the ice and refill when needed. It’s also a good idea to use lids on your salad bowls, which will not only help keep the temperature down, but will also help keep the bugs out.
Forget the leftovers. All too often we’re persuaded to take a plate of food home with us at the end of the party. But reheating and eating food that may have sat out in the heat for hours is not always the best idea. If you’re going to take food home with you, make sure it has been kept cool throughout the party, but when in doubt, throw it out.
By using some smarts and some common sense you can avoid many of the food borne illnesses that can accompany summertime parties. Be safe, not sorry, and be sure to enjoy the summer.
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