With the season's final surge of picnics expected around Labor Day, Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) officials are reminding people to use common sense in preparing, storing and serving food outdoors.
"If nothing else, people should remember to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold," stated CDPH Commissioner John Wilhelm, M.D. "Too often at picnics, people let refrigerated foods sit too long in the sun and the heat. That can lead to spoilage and even poisoning for anyone who eats the food."
Cold foods, such as potato salad, cole slaw and other dishes prepared with mayonnaise, should be kept at 45 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Outdoors, such items should be stored and served from coolers or beds of crushed ice. Coolers should be kept in the shade and transported to and from the picnic in the passenger section of the vehicle, rather than in the hot trunk.
Hot foods, such as baked beans, should be maintained at 140 degrees or higher. Many stores sell portable hot plates and other heating units to keep such dishes hot at picnics.
Grilled foods, like hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs and chicken, should be served straight off the grill, rather than grilled and left on a plate.
All foods should be covered with plastic wrap, aluminum foil or wax paper whenever possible, to prevent flies and other potential carriers of disease from touching food.
Fresh fruit and vegetables, especially leaf lettuce and other produce with uneven surfaces, should be washed as thoroughly as possible.
Wherever possible, people should use spoons, forks, scoops and tongs to serve foods, rather than using bare hands. Additionally, serving utensils should be used for one dish each, to prevent contamination of prepared foods by germs that may exist in raw foods. (For example, a fork used to put raw chicken on the grill should not also be used to serve potato salad.)
All cooked food should be cooked thoroughly, especially poultry, pork, ground meat, fish and eggs.
Another important thing everyone should remember—and not just during picnic season—is to wash your hands with warm water and soap after using the bathroom or changing a baby's diaper, and before handling or preparing food, added CDPH Food Protection Program Director Frances Patch. "There are literally thousands of types of salmonella, staph germs and other organisms that can cause serious foodborne illnesses in humans. But if people plan ahead and use common sense, they can successfully minimize the risks and have safe picnics that everyone can enjoy." |
