05/31/2006

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Chow Line: Practice safety in the great outdoors (for 6/18/06)

Writer:

Martha Filipic
filipic.3@osu.edu
614-292-9833

Source:

Jaime Foster, Human Nutrition

I have some elderly relatives who will be visiting this summer and they always insist on a picnic. I know older people are more susceptible to foodborne illness -- what can I do to make sure we don't make them ill?

You're right -- the elderly, children, and anyone with a chronic illness is more susceptible to foodborne illness than strong, healthy adults. So, it's a good thing to take a few precautions, especially when you'll be eating and preparing food outdoors.

First, remember that clean hands are essential whenever you prepare food, even if you're in the great outdoors. Unwashed hands are the No. 1 cause of food-borne illnesses. Take some moist towlettes or a water jug, soap, and some paper towels to clean your hands before and after handling food.

Be sure to keep all surfaces clean where you prepare and serve the food. Take clean tablecloths to cover picnic tables, and be sure you have plenty of serving pieces so you don't have to serve cooked foods with the same platter and utensils that previously used to handle raw meat or seafood.

If you'll be grilling meat, be sure to bring a meat thermometer. If you have the kind that can be calibrated, do so before you leave. Cook poultry to at least 165 degrees at the thickest part of the meat; ground beef to 160 degrees, and steaks to 145 for medium rare, 160 for medium,a nd 170 for well-done.

Other tips:

• Keep coolers in the shade and out of hot trunks as much as possible.
• Use separate coolers for food and beverages. That will prevent the food cooler from being opened too often.
• Try to pack the exact amount of food that will be eaten, as well as smaller condiment containers, to avoid handling leftovers. If you do have leftovers, throw them away unless they can be chilled on ice remaining in the cooler until your return home. If food has been in the "danger zone" (40 degrees to 140 degrees) for two or more hours, throw it out. It's always better to throw away questionable leftovers than to suffer from food poisoning.

For more tips, go to http://www.foodsafety.gov, click on "Consumer Advice," and scroll down to "Seasonal Advice." The topics "Summer" and "Seasonal Food Safety" have guidance on cooking and eating outdoors.

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1044, or filipic.3@osu.edu.

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This column was reviewed by Jaime Foster, registered dietitian and Ohio State University Extension associate in the Department of Human Nutrition, College of Human Ecology.

To receive a PDF file of Chow Line via e-mail, contact Martha Filipic at filipic.3@osu.edu.