Summer is the perfect time to enjoy a picnic and make the most of the excellent weather and the beauty of the outdoors. What people pack in their picnic hamper is down to personal preference. However, you must follow some essential food safety tips to ensure that your happy summer outing doesn’t end in somebody in your party being ill. Here are some picnic food safety tips.
Picnic Food Safety Tips
Tip #1: Invest in a cooler bag
One of the main problems concerning food safety for summer picnics is that its challenging to store food at the right temperature. You will likely travel to your picnic location in a warm car and then be sat in the summer sunshine, leaving your food in the heat of the sun.
It is vital that food is stored correctly at the right temperature or else bacteria will start to multiply in the food, which can cause several illnesses, including sickness and diarrhoea.
You can easily solve this problem by buying a cooler bag. Doing so will protect your food from the sunshine and keep it at a reasonable temperature, preventing the risk of bacteria multiplying and causing illness.
Tip #2: Keep food covered
While you are eating your picnic, it is also essential to keep your food covered. Covering the food will help you to avoid your food becoming contaminated. Possible contaminants include insects, airborne germs and grass and plants that may get blown into your food if there is a breeze.
By storing your food in plastic boxes with lids or covering your food with cling film or tin foil, you can avoid this problem. Also, while not eating, keep the food stored in the bag that you have transported it in to avoid contamination of your food.
Tip #3: Picnic Foods to Avoid
It is best to avoid some foods for a picnic. Certain foods are more likely to be difficult to store for a picnic. Examples of these foods include eggs and chicken.
These are foods which are temperamental to not being stored at the right temperature. They are also more likely to cause illness than some other foods. It is wise to avoid using these foods as part of your picnic.
Accidentally leaving them in the heat will cause bacteria to multiply, leaving you at risk from various illnesses.
Tip #4: Eat as Soon as Possible
It is always best to eat the food as soon as possible. The longer it is sat in a picnic hamper in your car, or you are carrying it around in the summer heat, the more likely the food is to spoil or grow bacteria. Aim to eat your picnic as early in the day as possible.
Picnic Food Safety Tips- The Final Verdict
A picnic is a fun way to eat in the warmer months. It also allows you to make the most of the outdoors. However, the summer heat can cause problems, so food safety is essential. Following the picnic food safety tips mentioned above will help you to have an enjoyable picnic without risking becoming unwell.