Edward-Elmhurst Health: How to avoid food poisoning

Eating outdoors is one of the best parts of the summer season—unless it ends with someone getting sick from food poisoning.

“Some pre-cookout prep and smart food handling can prevent a lot of problems,” says Dr. Amish Doshi, an internal medicine physician with Edward Medical Group.

• Get a cooler. If the menu includes perishable food such as meat or dairy products, a cooler packed with ice will help keep it fresh (better yet, get two; one for beverages and one for perishable food). Keep them in an air-conditioned vehicle (not the trunk). Try to keep the cooler closed most of the time to keep the contents cold longer.
• Keep raw meat in tightly sealed packages. “Also, be sure to thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator overnight,” says Dr. Doshi. “Don’t leave it out on the kitchen counter to thaw as the meat could defrost too quickly, giving bacteria time to grow.”
• Wash your hands. Find out if the picnic location will have running water. If so, bring hand soap. If not, bring anti-bacterial hand wipes. Wash hands before and after cooking.
• Bring extra plates, utensils and food storage containers. Don’t use the same plate to serve burgers that was used to hold the raw burger patties before they were cooked. The same goes for utensils – don’t use the same spatula to serve meat that was used to flip the raw patties. Pack any leftovers in the containers and put them back in the cooler.
• Use a food thermometer. Make sure hamburgers are heated to at least 160°F and chicken breasts to 165°F.
• Don’t leave food out for more than an hour. If it’s cooler than 90 degrees outside, food can stay out for two hours. Put perishable food (mayo, meat and any dairy) back in the cooler before it gets too warm and back in the fridge as soon as possible.

Get more information at EEHealth.org/hereforit.