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Saturday, May 28, 2005 Handle food carefully in summerBy SHARON TREEN | Flagler County Cooperative Extension Director PALM COAST — The number of foodborne illnesses increases during the summer. Here’s why: Bacteria love the hot, humid days of summer, and grow faster then than at any other time of the year. When the temperature is above 90 degrees Farenheit, the time perishable food can be left outside the refrigerator or freezer drops from two hours to one hour. At the same time temperatures are on the rise, we’re more likely to leave food unrefrigerated for longer time periods. Washing facilities and thermostat-controlled cooking appliances often are not available at picnic sites. People may leave their food thermometer in their kitchen when cooking outdoors. Beat bacteria this summer with these food safety tips: * Keep perishable foods cool by transporting them to a picnic site in an insulated cooler kept cold with ice or frozen gel packs. Perishable foods include meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, pasta, rice, cooked vegetables and fresh, peeled and/or cut fruits and vegetables. * Pack the cooler immediately before leaving home with foods that have been kept chilled in the refrigerator. * Avoid frequently opening the cooler container containing perishable food. Pack beverages in one cooler and perishables in another. * Keep the cooler in an air-conditioned vehicle for transporting and then keep in the shade or shelter at the picnic site. To avoid frequently opening the cooler, open it once to remove only the amount of food that will be eaten immediately. Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood wrapped separately from cooked foods and fresh fruits and vegetables. * Throw away any perishable leftovers that have been kept out more than two hours (one hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees F). * Avoid cross-contamination. Place cooked meat, poultry and seafood on a clean plate, rather than the plate on which it was carried to the grill. * Unwashed hands are a prime cause of foodborne illness. Whenever possible, wash your hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds before handling food. When eating away from home, pack disposable towelettes if no handwashing facilities are available. * Though only the inside of melons (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melons, etc.) is eaten, their outer rind still must be washed. Bacteria present in the soil can contaminate the skin of the melon. When the melon is cut, these bacteria are transferred to the part we eat and can grow to levels that cause foodborne illness. Wash the surface of melons thoroughly under clean, running water before eating them. * Cut melons on a clean cutting surface, using a clean knife. If facilities for cleaning melons aren’t available at the picnic site, wash and slice melons before leaving home. Transport them to the site in an insulated cooler kept cold with ice or freezer gel packs. Remove from the cooler just before serving them. Sharon Treen is director of the Flagler County Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida. For more information, contact the office, (386) 437-7464. The Extension Service is at 150 Sawgrass Road, off C.R. 13, one mile north of Bunnell. |
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