Are You Living in the Danger Zone?

Check out this great post from Fare For All's nutrition intern: Melissa Christianson:

What is the danger zone?

The temperature range in which food borne bacteria can grow is known as the danger zone. Bacteria grow most rapidly between 40 ° and 140 °F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. That's why consumers are advised to never leave food out the refrigerator over 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90 °F, food should not be left any longer than 1 hour.

If you are traveling with cold foods, bring a cooler with a cold source. If you are cooking, use a hot campfire or portable stove. It is difficult to keep foods hot without a heat source when traveling, so it’s best to cook foods before leaving home, cool them, and transport them cold. This is especially important to be aware of, as temperatures are reaching their height during July and August, and cases of food borne illness tend to rise in the summer.

Pointers:

Try to always store cold foods in a cooler with ice when a refrigerator is not available.

Get a food thermometer to take with you on outings.

Take temperatures of meats when cooking them from raw.

* Poultry breasts: 165 °F
* Ground beef: 160 °F
* Steaks and chops: 160 °F

Do not grill meat partially and finish cooking later!

Do not depend on the color of your meat to determine whether or not it’s ready/safe to eat!

Try to pick foods that are already cooked if you can, but, when grilling outdoors, be sure to have separate cutting boards and utensils for meats to avoid cross contamination.

Avoid using dairy products at your picnic or at your patio party. Mayonnaise can go bad pretty quickly.

Be aware of how long cold foods are exposed to warm temperatures during travel. Two hours is the maximum time for foods to still be safe to eat. Do not eat anything that has sat in a car, on a picnic table, etc. for two or more hours!

Tis the season for barbeques, picnics and outdoor smorgasbords! Inhabit the sunshine, not the danger zone!