WASHINGTON, D.C. — Memorial Day festivities marks the unofficial start to summer, and for many families that means cookouts, camping and lots of outdoor fun.
The U.S Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service wanted to remind everyone to take the necessary precautions to prevent food born bacteria from turning your plans upside down.
“It’s important to remember that bacteria grow faster in the same warm temperatures that people enjoy, so extra care needs to be taken to prevent food poisoning when preparing meals away from home,” said Agriculture Secretary Vilsack.
According to a news release, foodborne illness increases in the summer time.
To protect yourself and your family, the USDA gave the following tips.
Bringing food to a picnic or cookout:
- Use an insulated cooler, ice or frozen gel packs that are filled. A full cooler will keep cold longer.
- Meats, poultry, seafood, deli and lunch meats, sandwiches, summer salads like tuna, chicken, egg or pasta, fruits, veggies and dairy products need to be kept cold.
- Avoid opening the cooler containing the food to keep it cold longer.
Serving food outside:
- Perishable foods should not sit outside for more than 2 hours. If it’s above 90 °F, it can only sit out for one hour.
- Serve cold food in small portions, and keep meats hot until they can be served.
Cooking on the grill:
- Beef, pork, lamb and veal (steaks, roasts and chops) should be 145 °F with a 3-minute rest time.
- Ground meats: 160 °F.
- Whole poultry, poultry breasts and ground poultry: 165 °F.
- Always use fresh, clean utensils, plates and cutting boards when preparing food.
To make everything easier and less stressful this Memorial Day, the USDA launched its FoodKeeper app that can answer any and all of your food questions.
The application is free on Android and Apple devices.