- Proper food safety -

Picnic food safety

Keep the following picnic food safety precautions in mind when planning a picnic:

Food preparation safety

When cooking food beforehand make sure it is sufficiently cooled down and then refrigerated to be at 40oF or less by the time you start packing for your picnic.

Where possible, use two separate coolers: one with your drinks and the other with the food that needs to be kept cold. This will ensure that the cooler with the food in it will be handled as little as possible.

Fill your coolers up to at least a quarter level with ice or iced gel packs to keep the food sufficiently chilled.

Packing your picnic food

Raw foodstuffs (especially meats such as uncooked hot dogs, burgers or fish) should always be packed separated from cooked and fresh items.

Double wrap raw food by using a second plastic bag to make sure any accidental leaks are contained. Keep cutting boards, serving platters and any other utensils that will be used with each food, separate from the food.

Since picnic foods are eaten in the open air and are subject to contamination, meat, poultry, fish, and eggs should never be eaten raw.

Transporting your food

If at all possible do not place your food in the trunk of the car since the trunk can reach very high temperatures very quickly.

Place your food containers in the passenger area of the car, out of the sun, covered with a blanket to keep it cool.

Time lapse between getting there and eating

Taking a walk, swimming, playing games or just having a conversation before eating means that your food may be sitting at warm temperatures, becoming contaminated for some time.

When planning a picnic consider how long your food will be out, try to avoid foods that will go off quickly, keep to safe picnic foods and pack as much of your food as you can in ice to keep it cool.

Location

Prepare for your picnic location. A beach picnic involves the risk of sand in your food so steer clear of foods that will involve a lot of handling such as bread, cheese or mostly finger foods.

Avoid using wrappers that will be blown away in the wind, rather use plastic containers with secure lids. If you have to take a long walk to your picnic spot, be mindful of the weight and amount of food you are taking along.

Drinks

Although a romantic picnic usually includes champagne, chilled wine or even beer, keep in mind that you will be out in the sun and need to stay hydrated.

Include water, iced tea, fruit juices and lemonade in you drinks choices. Be mindful of the potential dangers of drinking alcohol in the sun as well as road safety when drinking and driving.

Insects

When planning you picnic, choose containers with secure lids so that it can be sealed against uninvited guests of the insect kind.

Keep covers on your beverages as much as possible. Insects like ants, bees and flies are the usual culprits carrying germs that they picked up from their last landing place: dog faeces, trash or dirty water.

Pick you picnic spot well away from trash cans. Food that has been accidentally dropped should immediately be picked up and discarded in a trash can or a trash bag you brought along with you.

To ensure picnic food safety, keep your food covered and insect free at all times.

Cleanups and leftover food safety

Pack extra plastic bags, re-sealable bags, trash bags and plastic cling film for your trash and/or food that you want to throw away or take home with you afterwords. Place a couple of damp towels in plastic bags as well as wet wipes to wipe hands with after eating.

These are simple step, but it will ensure your picnic food safety.

Leftover food should be put in plastic bags (never on unwashed platters, containers or bags) and placed in your cooler with plenty of ice to keep it chilled.

Cooked food that has been out in the summer heat for hours should rather be discarded for safety sake.

Picnic food safety is easy if you use common sense, plan carefully beforehand and clean up as you go along.
By taking proper food safety precautions you can ensure a safe, enjoyable picnic.