Sources: Karen Blakeslee, 785-532-1673, kblakesl@oznet.k-state.edu
Daniel Y.C. Fung, 785-532-1208, dfung@oznet.k-state.edu
http://www.mediarelations.k-state.edu/WEB/News/MediaGuide/fungbio.html
News release prepared by: Jennifer Newberry, 785-532-6415

Thursday, June 30, 2005

SAFETY TIPS FOR PICNICS AND COOKOUTS

MANHATTAN -- The Fourth of July means heat and sun plus picnics and cookouts, which can equal opportunities for food-borne illnesses.

To keep your picnic safe, Kansas State University food safety experts said the two keys are temperature control and hand washing.

"Those two things account for a majority of food-borne illnesses," said Karen Blakeslee, K-State rapid response center coordinator. She and Daniel Y.C. Fung, K-State professor in animal sciences and industry, offer the following suggestions for keeping food safe:

*Keep hot food hot and cold food cold. Cold food and drinks should be kept in an ice chest, preferably two separate ones, with ice. Hot food cooked at home should be insulated with a towel or insulated food carrier.

*To keep your hands clean, use a restroom sink or bring soap and washcloths or hand sanitizers with you.

*When cooking food, keep food preparation surfaces clean. Keep raw foods like meat away from ready-to-eat foods, such as fresh vegetables and salad.

*Keep foods below 40 degrees or above 140 degrees. The time it takes for bacteria to grow depends on the conditions, Blakeslee said. How long food has been out at room temperature and the room temperature itself can affect bacteria growth.

"What we recommend is keeping foods below 40 degrees or above 140 degrees," Blakeslee said. "That temperature in between 40 and 140 is what we call the temperature danger zone. That's where bacteria really likes to grow."

*When in doubt, use a food thermometer. The type of meat you're grilling will depend on whether or not you can use color as a measure for doneness. If grilling hamburgers, it's not a good idea to judge doneness by color. Use a food thermometer and check the inside temperature -- hamburgers should be cooked to 160 degrees. In most cases, you can judge a steak's doneness by inside color. When in doubt, use a thermometer and make sure to cook to 145 degrees.

"The most common mistake when barbecuing is to undercook food and feed it to people," Fung said. "If you don't have a thermometer, look for steam coming out and do the famous Dr. Fung cheek test. If your cheek cannot handle the heat of the steam, then the food is safe to eat."

*When meat is cooked, don't put it on the same plate that once held raw meat -- use a clean one. In addition, don't use the same utensil for handling raw and cooked meats.

*If marinating any meat, discard the marinade after soaking the meat. If you want to use some of the marinade as a dip, it should be heated to boiling, otherwise it will contaminate the cooked meat.

*When serving food, use clean utensils for each food. Don't mix utensils and don't use one to serve multiple foods. Replace each utensil after serving 15 people and continue serving with a clean one, to prevent contamination. Also, do not taste and serve food with the same utensil.

"Some people tend to taste the food to see how delicious it is with a utensil and use that same utensil to serve the food," Fung said. "You may be contaminating your friend with your bad bacteria."

*Don't let perishable foods, like meat or potato salad, sit out in the heat for more than two hours. After such time, bacteria can begin to grow. If the day is especially hot, food should not sit out for more than one hour. Blakeslee recommends putting food back in the cooler as soon as you're done eating.

"People tend to take food to the picnic ground and leave it at normal temperature or higher while they play games, chat, hike and then, about four hours later, come and get the food and eat," Fung said. "During this time, pathogenic bacteria, if present, will have a chance to grow to a high number and may cause food-borne infection."

*If making homemade ice cream, be cautious about using raw eggs as they could contain salmonella. One option is to make a cooked egg custard at home, chill it and use the egg custard to make ice cream at the picnic site.

If food is not handled or cooked properly, food-borne illness can occur. Depending on the type of bacteria, it can happen within half an hour of eating contaminated food to even days later. The two most common symptoms are diarrhea and an upset stomach. Other symptoms can include chills, fever, nausea, weakness, dizziness and vomiting, Blakeslee said.

"A lot of people shrug it off and think it's the 24-hour flu when it could be a food-borne illness," she said.

If you suspect food is the cause, go see your doctor. In addition, keep any leftover food so it can be tested. In most cases, the food-borne illness will run its course and most symptoms will be gone in a day or two.

Blakeslee said food-borne illnesses can be prevented as long as people remember to wash their hands and keep an eye on food temperature.

"Foods may be perfectly safe coming out of the store," Blakeslee said. "It's what the consumer does when they get it home. There's still a possibility that something can go wrong once you get the food home. That's why it's important to use some common sense, good food safety practices and have a safe picnic."

For more information about grilling safety, see http://www.oznet.k-state.edu