Summer Fun - Cooking Outdoors

No matter what time of the year, more and more people are cooking outdoors.
But outdoor cooking during the summer seems to pose a few extra challenges
-  leaving food out for just a short period of time under the hot sun can result
in harmful bacteria rapidly multiplying and it increases the chance of getting food borne illness. Here are some basic guidelines for safe food handling during the hot summer months:

From Store to Home

1.Purchase refrigerated or frozen items after you have selected all your nonperishables.

2.  Put raw meat/poultry in a plastic bag so juices won’t cross-contaminate your
fruits or vegetables.

3.  Immediately refrigerate all perishable items when you get home.

4.  Completely defrost meat/poultry, so that it cooks more evenly and doesn’t
leave raw or poorly cooked places.

Transporting

1.  When transporting food to another location, whether on a long family trip
or just a short distance to the park, it is important to keep it cold to
minimize bacterial growth.

2.  Keep meats refrigerated until ready to use.

3.  Pack perishable food from the refrigerator to the cooler just before leaving and keep on ice until ready to use.

4. Keep cooler out of direct sunlight and avoid opening it too often.

5.  Hint:  Pack beverages in one cooler and foods in another.

http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cfocus/cfhealthtips03/focus.