Facts: Eating Outdoors

F O O D FACTS
From the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Eating Outdoors
SCAN ME
Access our
Education
Resource
Library
Handling Food Safely
Picnic and barbecue season offers lots of opportunities for outdoor fun with
family and friends. But these warm weather events also present opportunities
for foodborne bacteria to thrive. As food heats up in summer temperatures,
bacteria multiply rapidly.
To protect yourself, your family, and friends from foodborne illness during
warm-weather months, safe food handling when eating outdoors is critical.
Read on for simple food safety guidelines for transporting your food to the
picnic site, and preparing and serving it safely once youve arrived.
Pack and Transport Food Safely

Keep your food safe: from the refrigerator/freezer . . .
all the way to the picnic table.
Keep cold food cold. Place cold food in a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs. Cold food should be stored at
40 F or below to prevent bacterial growth. Meat, poultry, and seafood may be packed while still frozen so that
they stay colder longer.
Organize cooler contents. Consider packing beverages in one cooler and perishable foods in another. That way,
as picnickers open and reopen the beverage cooler to replenish their drinks, the perishable foods wont be exposed
to warm outdoor air temperatures.
Keep coolers closed. Once at the picnic site, limit the number of
times the cooler is opened as much as you can. This helps to keep
the contents cold longer.
Dont cross-contaminate. Be sure to keep raw meat, poultry,
and seafood securely wrapped. This keeps their juices from
contaminating prepared/cooked foods or foods that will be eaten
raw, such as fruits and vegetables.
Clean your produce. Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under
running tap water before packing them in the cooler including
those with skins and rinds that are not eaten. Rub firm-skinned
fruits and vegetables under running tap water or scrub with a
clean vegetable brush while rinsing with running tap water. Dry
fruits and vegetables with a clean cloth towel or paper towel.
Packaged fruits and vegetables that are labeled ready-to-eat,
washed, or triple washed need not be washed.
Safety
Health
Science
Quick Tips for Picnic Site Prep
Food safety begins with proper hand

cleaning including in outdoor settings.
Before you begin setting out your picnic
feast, make sure hands and surfaces are
clean.
Outdoor Hand Cleaning: If you
dont have access to running water,
simply use a water jug, some soap, and
paper towels. Or, consider using moist
disposable towelettes for cleaning your
hands.
Utensils and Serving Dishes: Take care
to keep all utensils and platters clean
when preparing food.
Nutrition
July 2012
1
F O O D FACTS
Follow Safe Grilling Tips

Grilling and picnicking often go hand-in-hand. And just as with cooking
indoors, there are important guidelines that should be followed to ensure that
your grilled food reaches the table safely.
Marinate safely. Marinate foods in the refrigerator never on the kitchen
counter or outdoors. In addition, if you plan to use some of the marinade as
a sauce on the cooked food, reserve a portion separately before adding the
raw meat, poultry, or seafood.
Dont reuse marinade.
Cook immediately after partial cooking. If you partially cook food to
reduce grilling time, do so immediately before the food goes on the hot grill.
Cook food thoroughly. When its time to cook the food, have your food
thermometer ready. Always use it to be sure your food is cooked thoroughly.
(See Safe Food Temperature Chart at right.)
Keep ready food hot. Grilled food can be kept hot until served by
moving it to the side of the grill rack, just away from the coals. This keeps it
hot but prevents overcooking.
Dont reuse platters or utensils. Using the same platter or utensils that
previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood allows bacteria from the raw
foods juices to spread to the cooked food. Instead, have a clean platter and
utensils ready at grill-side to serve your food.
Check for foreign objects in food. If you clean your grill using a bristle brush, check to make sure that no detached bristles
have made their way into grilled food.
Platter Warning:
Serving Picnic Food: Keep it
Keeping food at proper temperatures indoor and out is critical in preventing the
growth of foodborne bacteria. The key is to never let your picnic food remain in the
Danger Zone between 40 F and 140 F for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if
outdoor temperatures are above 90 F. This is when bacteria in food can multiply rapidly,
and lead to foodborne illness.
Instead, follow these simple rules for keeping cold foods cold and hot foods hot.
Prevent
Cross-Contamination
When Serving
Never reuse a plate or utensils
that previously held raw meat,
poultry, or seafood for serving
unless theyve been washed
first in hot, soapy water.
Otherwise, you can spread
bacteria from the raw juices to
your cooked or ready-to-eat food.
This is particularly important to
remember when serving cooked
foods from the grill.
COLD FOOD
HOT FOOD
Cold perishable food should be kept in the

cooler at 40 F or below until serving time.
Hot food should be kept hot, at or

above 140 F.
Once youve served it, it should not sit out

for longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour if the
outdoor temperature is above 90 F. If it
does discard it.
Wrap it well and place it in an

insulated container until serving.
Foods like chicken salad and desserts in

individual serving dishes can be placed
directly on ice, or in a shallow container set
in a deep pan filled with ice. Drain off water
as ice melts and replace ice frequently.
Just as with cold food these

foods should not sit out for
more than 2 hours, or 1 hour in
temperatures above 90 F. If food
is left out longer, throw it away to
be safe.
Everyone can practice safe food handling

by following these four simple steps:
Safety n Health n Science n Nutrition

July 2012

For more information
contact: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Food Information
Line 1-888-SAFEFOOD (toll free), 10 AM to 4 PM ET, Monday through Friday. Or visit the FDA web site at www.fda.gov.

Facts: Eating Outdoors

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Facts: Eating Outdoors

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Facts: Eating Outdoors

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

F O O D FACTS

From the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Handling Food Safely

Pack and Transport Food Safely

Quick Tips for Picnic Site Prep

Food safety begins with proper hand

Follow Safe Grilling Tips

Serving Picnic Food: Keep it

Cold perishable food should be kept in the

Hot food should be kept hot, at or

Once youve served it, it should not sit out

Wrap it well and place it in an

Foods like chicken salad and desserts in

Just as with cold food these

Everyone can practice safe food handling

Safety n Health n Science n Nutrition

You might also like