Summer Food Safety Tips

A hamburger, coleslaw and slice of watermelon—the perfect summer meal. But before you mix up the potato salad and fire up the barbecue, here are some simple ways to keep your food safe during the grilling season.

First: Keep warm foods warm and cold foods cold. It’s a simple rule, but Lindsey Mayes, MS, a registered dietician and instructor in the University of Cincinnati College of Allied Health Sciences Nutritional Sciences Department, says temperature plays a big part in food safety.

"When cold food is not kept at a cold enough temperature and hot food is not kept at a hot enough temperature, bacteria are given the ability to grow and thrive,” she says. "According to the United States Department of Agriculture, bacteria grow most rapidly when held in the temperature danger zone, which is between 40 and 140 Fahrenheit.” 

Mayes says cold food should be kept below 40 degrees and hot food should be kept above 140 degrees. Consuming foods exposed to the temperature danger zone for too long can cause serious foodborne illness.

Mayes recommends packing coolers full and making sure the food is completely covered with ice. When packing for an outdoor event, only take as much food as will be eaten and don’t store raw or prepared foods in the direct sunlight as this allows bacteria to grow, she says. 

Try not to open the cooler too much before you’re ready to eat. If you’re going to take along cold drinks or snacks, consider bringing along a separate cooler that can be opened frequently. 

"If both food and drinks will be kept in coolers, pack canned and bottled beverages in a separate cooler since guests will access the cooler with the drinks quite often,” Mayes says. "The cooler containing food should be opened minimally in order to keep cold foods cold.”  

She also says cross-contamination while cooking is an issue that requires special attention to avoid the spread of bacteria. 

"If meat is being cooked at a barbecue, use separate utensils to handle raw meat and cooked meat,” she says. "Cooked meat should not be placed on a plate previously used for raw meat. The cooking process kills bacteria that may be present in some raw meat. Therefore, it is important not to allow cooked meat to touch raw meat or surfaces that were exposed to raw meat.”

If the summer party includes a grill, bring along a meat thermometer. Most meat thermometers include the minimum internal temperatures for various types of meat listed on the thermometer itself.  Consuming undercooked meat is not recommended as it may cause foodborne illness, according to Mayes.

"Any food held in the temperature danger zone for more than two hours should be discarded,” says Mayes. "If food is stored in the direct sunlight for more than one hour, it should be discarded.”

For cleaning up hands after eating, Mayes recommends using antibacterial soap and a jug of water to wash hands for 20 seconds after handling raw meat. If they are not available, an antibacterial hand sanitizer will do the trick.

"By following safe food handling procedures while transporting, cooking and serving foods outdoors, you will reduce the risk of foodborne illness for you and your loved ones this summer and year round,” says Mayes.