Health Tip: Have a Safe Picnic
-- Food poisoning can do more harm to your family picnic than a family of red ants.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers these picnic-safety suggestions:
- Bring a food thermometer to your barbeque and make sure all foods are cooked to their recommended guidelines for minimum internal temperature.
- Store raw foods and ready-to-eat foods in separate containers to avoid possible contamination.
- Pack perishable foods separately with an ice pack, making sure they are stored at a minimum of 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Throw away any food that has been sitting out for more than two hours, or one hour in temperatures of 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Posted: April 2012