Month: April 2015

by Lori Wuellner
As the weather warms, many people enjoy cooking outside on a grill or packing a picnic to eat on a hike.

But if we don’t pay close attention to safe food handling, we could be putting our family and friends at risk of a foodborne illness.

Foodborne illness increases during the summer because the temperatures are warmer, and the pathogens around us can be transferred to food and grow quickly in the warm temperatures. Summer also tends to be humid, and moist environments increase the chances for bacteria to grow.

Test your food safety savvy:
1. To what temperature should you cook chicken? _________F
2. To what temperature should you cook burgers? _________F
3. How long should you wash your hands with soap and water? ________seconds
4. On a hot day (above 90F), how long can you leave food on the picnic table? ________ hour(s)
Answers: 1) 165 F; 2) 160 F.; 3) 20; 4) 1

Remember these 4 tips to food safety.
1. Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often: When eating away from home, check if the site has a source of “potable” (safe) drinking water. If not, bring water for preparation and cleanup. For picnics away from water sources, pack wet wipes and paper towels to clean hands and surfaces.
2. Separate, don’t cross-contaminate: When you pack a cooler for an outing, be sure raw meats and their juices do not come into contact with ready-to-eat foods or beverage cans. Place meats in tightly sealed storage containers or have a separate cooler for raw meats.
3. Cook to the proper temperature: Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns fast on the outside, so be sure the meat is cooked thoroughly. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature. If you picked up cooked, hot food at a store or restaurant it should be eaten within 2 hours or purchase.
4. Chill promptly: Keep cold perishable food such as deli meats, chicken, and potato or pasta salad in an insulated cooler packed with several inches of ice, ice packs or containers of frozen water. Keep the cooler in the passenger area of your vehicle (not the trunk) and place in the shade or shelter at the picnic site.
Try this recipe for your next picnic or outdoor barbecue.
(Source: NDSU Extension Service, Food Wise, June 2014)
Lori Wuellner is a Wyandotte County Extension agent, Family and Consumer Sciences, K-State Research and Extension, 1216 N. 79th St., Kansas City, Kan. Telephone 913-299-9300, email [email protected].
Rainbow Veggie Salad
1 can red kidney beans (15.5 ounces, drained and rinsed)
1 can black beans (15.5 ounces, drained and rinsed)
3 carrots (scrubbed and sliced)
1 yellow squash (small, washed and sliced)
1 zucchini (small, washed and sliced)
½ cup light Italian dressing
½ teaspoon pepper
1. Mix all the vegetables together in a large bowl.
2. Pour dressing over vegetables.
3. Sprinkle with pepper.
4. Stir gently, coating all vegetables.
5. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
Yield: 10 servings
Nutrition Facts: 90 calories; 2 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 201 mg sodium; 14 g total carbohydrate; 5 g dietary fiber; 2 g sugar; 4 g protein (Source: USDA Recipe Finder)