Summer Food Safety

There is nothing worse than a bout of food poisoning on a beautiful summer’s day.

Summer Food Safety

Unfortunately, food poisoning is more common than you might think. Most so- called 24-hour flues are really food poisoning. Summer time is problematic because people leave meat out in the sun when they barbecue or improperly pack a picnic.

Here are a few simple tips:

• Always marinate meat, chicken, and fish in the fridge. It marinates just as well in the fridge as it does at room temperature. You can even marinate meat and chicken in the freezer.
• Avoid using frozen meat or fowl but if you do, defrost it in the fridge or the microwave never on the counter or in water.
• Never leave meat out on a summer's day longer than a half an hour - at most.
• Put meat you are going to barbecue in a shady place or better still in a cooler.
• Make sure you barbecue the meat, chicken and fish all the way through.
• Transport all meat (except processed luncheon meat) in a cooler with ice.
• Eat that picnic soon after you arrive.
• Put the picnic cooler in a cool spot, eat under a tree or shade.
• If you can, eat at a picnic table.

Please take a poll at Seasonal Cooking