10 Tips: Picnics/Food safety/Kids

July 12, 2010

Posted in Food & Water Precautions, Outdoor Recreation No Comments »
Tags: bacteria, food preparation, food safety, gastrointestnal illness, irradiated food, kids, kids health, kids travel, Kids Travel Doc, kids travel doctor, kidstraveldoc.com, non-refrigerated, picnic basket, picnics, safety

Picnics/Food safety/Kids

According to the dictionary, a “picnic” is a relaxed, pleasurable event, often family-oriented, at which meals are eaten outdoors, preferably in idyllic surroundings.

The meaning of the phrase “It’s no picnic” is a non-pleasurable event. (Perhaps, referring to becoming ill from eating spoiled food at a picnic?)  According to the Centers for Disease Control, meals eaten outdoors – at picnics, barbecues, or tailgating parties – are far more likely to cause intestinal illness than meals eaten in one’s house. And infants and young children are more susceptible to these illnesses than are adults. 

1. Moving food preparation outdoors increases the risk of food spoilage. Think ahead. How long can non-refrigerated risky food be kept safely on hot days? Where will food preparers wash their hands? Can chefs, especially novice ones, judge when the interior of hamburgers reaches the critical temperature to destroy disease-causing organisms? How do you prevent cross-contamination?

2. Meat, fish, and dairy products frequently contain disease-causing organisms. Refrigeration keeps the number at levels sufficiently low to prevent gastrointestinal illness. Refrigeration does not kill organisms, it merely prevents them from multiplying. Interruptions in refrigeration – letting food thaw – especially in hot weather, allows organisms to multiply rapidly. Subsequent refrigeration preserves the number of organisms at the new higher level, sometimes levels sufficient to cause illness.

3. Disease-causing organisms are most often found on the surface of foods. When meats and fish thaw, the organisms mix with moisture from the food. These “juices” then drip onto other foods and food-preparing surfaces or peoples’ hands. This is known as cross-contamination. Carry substances to clean or cover surfaces (tin foil, for example) and hand sanitizers. Transport meats and fish in sealed plastic bags. Wash hands after handling raw meat and fish. Never use the same plate or surface for raw food and prepared food.

4. Consider using irradiated food. Irradiation eliminates virtually all disease-causing organisms. While irradiation is not new, it has not  gained wide popularity. Extensive studies show that such food is safe to eat; it is not radioactive. Most supermarkets carry a large variety of such foods. Note that irradiated food, once opened or defrosted, like all other foods, can be contaminated subsequently from other sources.

5. Use a food thermometer for outdoor cooking. Items made of ground meat, (hamburgers and meatballs, for example) contain surface meat – with its organisms – scattered throughout. Grilling browns the outside rapidly – sometimes, before reaching critical temperatures at the center. Even centers may turn brown before critical temperatures are reached. 

Numerous types of thermometers are available; familiarize yourself with one. Read instructions. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the food. Make sure it doesn’t touch bone, fat or gristle, which can give misleading readings. Clean the thermometer with hot, soapy water before each use. Below are the critical minimal temperatures for various foods.

6. Wicker picnic baskets are quaint but outdated. High tech, relatively inexpensive coolers – you add the ice – help keep foods safe for prolonged periods. Use large pieces of ice or frozen chemical gel, not ice cubes, which melt quickly. Transport coolers inside cars; car trunks can become very hot. Place coolers in the shade and open infrequently. Leave food items in the cooler until you need them. 

7. Keep a refrigerator thermometer in the cooler. If the cooler temperature rises above 40° F (4° C) heat-sensitive dishes should be eaten within two hours; if the air temperature is higher than 90° F (32° C), eat within one hour. Bacterial count can double in fifteen minutes at high temperatures.              

8. Keep all foods cool – and clean. While mayonnaise is often implicated as a source of food poisoning, the real culprits are the items the mayonnaise is mixed with – potatoes, eggs, pasta, and tuna, for example. Wash fruits and vegetables. Scrub rough melon skins and cut them with a clean knife. Organisms can be transferred from the skins to the inside by the knife. Keep melons cool after cutting.

9. Cook eggs well. Organisms may be present inside un-cracked eggs; they enter while the egg is formed in the hen.

And keep eggs clean after boiling. Organisms can pass through cracks in shell and even the pores in an intact shell. Raw eggs have a coating that prevents organisms to penetrate the shell. Boiling destroys the coating.

10. Plan to keep insects away. Most insects are merely annoying. But some – flies, for example – can carry disease-causing organisms. Choose picnic sites away from refuse and rotting fruit. Spray your site before unpacking the food – though most outdoor liquid sprays, candles and coils are of questionable efficacy. Bring tablecloths and food hoods to cover food. 

Posted in Food & Water Precautions, Outdoor Recreation No Comments »
Tags: bacteria, food preparation, food safety, gastrointestnal illness, irradiated food, kids, kids health, kids travel, Kids Travel Doc, kids travel doctor, kidstraveldoc.com, non-refrigerated, picnic basket, picnics, safety