Food Safety Reminders for Summer Picnics

The warmer weather not only invites us to enjoy a meal outside, but it also can invite unwanted party guests. If you’re packing a picnic this season, keep foodborne germs away from your spread by following some food safety tips from the CDC.

Before packing up the picnic basket, divide food cooked in advance into shallow containers to store in the refrigerator or freezer; this encourages rapid, even cooling. At your picnic, keep hot foods hot (at 140°F or warmer) with slow cookers or warming trays, and keep cold foods cold (at 40°F or below) in a cooler filled with ice or frozen gel packs until just before serving. Perishable food, like meat, dairy, and cut fruit, should be thrown away after 2 hours (after 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F). Read more from the CDC about picnic food safety here.