Play It Clean and Cool

Summer brings a bounty of fresh vegetables and fruits to enjoy. But the season also brings more food poisoning (food-borne illness) than any other time of year. Why? Bacteria, including harmful bacteria, like the warm, humid conditions typical of summer.

The great outdoors is the setting for many popular activities: gardening, picnicking, shopping for fresh foods at farmers’ markets, and grilling out. Taking a few simple steps to ensure food safety can prevent food-borne illness from wrecking your family’s summer fun.

Wash Your Hands: First, Last, and Often

Keeping hands clean is everyone’s number one defense against bacteria that can make you sick.

• Wash your hands before and after you handle fresh produce at the farmers’ market or grocery and even from your garden. (The same goes for raw meat.)

• No water available at the market or a picnic? Carry and use moist towelettes or hand sanitizer.

• Keep surfaces clean, too.

Enjoy Your Garden’s Goodness Safely

All gardens are exposed to potential bacteria and contaminants. That’s true whether your garden is in outdoor soil or in containers indoors. Even organic growing methods don’t protect against all harmful bacteria. So use the same care in handling produce from your garden that you would use with produce bought at a grocery or farmers’ market.

Shop Wisely at Famers’ Markets for Fresh Produce and Other Foods

Farmers’ markets are great places to buy fresh, seasonal, local produce. Many also offer fresh eggs, dairy, and/or meats. Here’s how to get the best from a market near you.

• Shop as early as possible in the day. Produce will be at its freshest.

• Select fruits that are fresh and unblemished. Avoid any item that is wilted, bruised, cut, or has mold.

• Buy only the amount of produce you and your family can eat within 1 week.

• Don’t sample unprepared produce. Even samples prepared for tasting may have been sitting in the sun and heat too long and may no longer be safe to eat.

• Eggs, dairy, and meat should be properly refrigerated or chilled by their vendors. Keep them chilled for the ride home. Have a separate bag for these items to keep separate from the fresh produce.

• The FDA recommends buying only pasteurized milk, soft cheese, and juice or ciders.

Store Produce to Preserve Freshness

• Refrigerate produce requiring refrigeration within 2 hours of purchase. Most produce also requires a humid (but not wet) environment. Store these items in the refrigerator’s produce drawer or in perforated plastic bags.

• Store produce that does not require refrigeration in a cool, dry place. Examples include bananas, pears (until soft), tomatoes, potatoes, onions, and garlic.

• Shake or brush off loose dirt from fruits and vegetables before storage rather than washing.

• Discard cut or cooked produce that has been at room temperature for 2 hours or longer, or 1 hour if the temperature is 90°F or above.

Prepare Produce the Safe Way for Serving or Cooking

• Wash vegetables and fruits before peeling or cutting. Use cool tap water and dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. Cutting through unwashed skin or rind can transfer bacteria on the surface to the part you will eat. Tip: This method also applies to harder skinned produce such as melons or winter squash that you may not have washed in the past.

• Wash leafy greens thoroughly. Use several changes of cool water.

• Use separate cutting boards for produce and raw meat. Clean boards well between uses. Sanitizing in the dishwasher is a good idea.

Picnic and Grill Out Safely

• Picnicking away from home? Pack prepared fruit, vegetables, and other dishes in a cooler with ice or cold packs. Aim for a temperature of 40°F or lower.

• Pack cold drinks in their own separate cooler. That way the food cooler is not opened as frequently.

• Use a separate cooler for raw meats to be grilled, if possible. Otherwise, place securely sealed meat at the bottom of the food cooler below other foods.

• Do not leave cut raw produce (such as salads or fruit) or prepared foods out of the cooler for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if the outside temperature is 90°F or above. Best Practice: Serve the food right before eating and immediately return to the cooler any food that remains.

• Use a food thermometer to test that grilled meats are cooked to proper internal temperatures:

Resources

• www.HomeFoodSafety.org

• www.FoodSafety.gov

• Food Safety at the Farmer’s Market (www.FoodSafety.gov/blog/farmers_market.html)

Recommendation From My Health Care Provider.