06/18/2026
๐ฃ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ & ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด - ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ
Provided by: Summit County Public Health and The Partnership for Food Safety Education
Warmer weather conditions may be ideal for outdoor picnics and barbecues, but they also provide a perfect environment for bacteria and other pathogens in food to multiply rapidly and cause foodborne illness. When eating outside, while traveling, or picnicking away from home, itโs important to take along the basic food safety necessities and follow these tips to reduce risk of foodborne illness:
โพ Soap and water are essential to cleanliness. Bring your own soap and water to your picnic or campsite. If water for hand washing is not available, disposable wipes or hand cleanser will do. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.
โพ Take foods in the smallest quantity needed โ pack only the amount of food you think youโll use. Consider taking along non-perishable foods and snacks that donโt need to be refrigerated.
โพ Pack foods in your cooler in reverse-use order โ pack foods first that you are likely to use last. Pack plenty of ice or freezer packs to ensure a constant cold temperature.
โพ If meat and poultry need to stay cool for a long period of time, they may be packed while still frozen. Be sure to keep raw meat and poultry wrapped separately from cooked foods, or foods meant to be eaten raw such as fruits.
โพ Fill cooler to capacity, a full cooler will maintain its cold temperatures longer than one that is partially filled.
โพ Keep drinks in a separate cooler from foods. The beverage cooler will be opened frequently while the food cooler stays cold.
โพ When traveling, transport the cooler in the air-conditioned passenger compartment of your car, rather than in a hot trunk. Keep the cooler out of direct sun. At the picnic or campsite keep your cooler covered with a blanket or tarp.
โพ Donโt let food sit out for more than two hours. On a hot day (90ยบ F or higher), reduce this time to one hour.
โพ Bring a food thermometer in your grilling supplies. Use it to make sure meat and poultry have reached a safe internal temperature.
โพ Whereโs the Beef? Chicken and Fish? Hamburgers should be cooked to 155 ยบF, while large cuts of beef such as roasts and steaks may be cooked to 145 ยบF for medium rare or to 160 ยบF for medium. Poultry must reach a temperature of 165 ยฐF. Fish should be opaque and flake easily (145 ยบF).
โพ Marinating Mandate. Always marinate food in the refrigerator. Donโt use sauce that was used to marinate raw meat or poultry on cooked food. Reserve a portion of the unused marinade to use as a sauce.
โพ Stay Away from that Same Old Plate. When taking foods off the grill, do not put cooked food items back on the same plate that held raw food, unless it has been washed with hot water and soap first. And in hot weather (above 90ยฐF) foods should never sit out for more than one hour before going in the refrigerator.
โพ When the picnic is over, discard all perishable foods if there is no longer sufficient ice in the cooler or if gel packs are no longer frozen.
Provided by: Summit County Public Health and The Partnership for Food Safety Education
Warmer weather conditions may be ideal for outdoor picnics and barbecues, but they also provide a perfect environment for bacteria and other pathogens in food to multiply rapidly and cause foodborne illness. When eating outside, while traveling, or picnicking away from home, itโs important to take along the basic food safety necessities and follow these tips to reduce risk of foodborne illness:
โพ Soap and water are essential to cleanliness. Bring your own soap and water to your picnic or campsite. If water for hand washing is not available, disposable wipes or hand cleanser will do. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.
โพ Take foods in the smallest quantity needed โ pack only the amount of food you think youโll use. Consider taking along non-perishable foods and snacks that donโt need to be refrigerated.
โพ Pack foods in your cooler in reverse-use order โ pack foods first that you are likely to use last. Pack plenty of ice or freezer packs to ensure a constant cold temperature.
โพ If meat and poultry need to stay cool for a long period of time, they may be packed while still frozen. Be sure to keep raw meat and poultry wrapped separately from cooked foods, or foods meant to be eaten raw such as fruits.
โพ Fill cooler to capacity, a full cooler will maintain its cold temperatures longer than one that is partially filled.
โพ Keep drinks in a separate cooler from foods. The beverage cooler will be opened frequently while the food cooler stays cold.
โพ When traveling, transport the cooler in the air-conditioned passenger compartment of your car, rather than in a hot trunk. Keep the cooler out of direct sun. At the picnic or campsite keep your cooler covered with a blanket or tarp.
โพ Donโt let food sit out for more than two hours. On a hot day (90ยบ F or higher), reduce this time to one hour.
โพ Bring a food thermometer in your grilling supplies. Use it to make sure meat and poultry have reached a safe internal temperature.
โพ Whereโs the Beef? Chicken and Fish? Hamburgers should be cooked to 155 ยบF, while large cuts of beef such as roasts and steaks may be cooked to 145 ยบF for medium rare or to 160 ยบF for medium. Poultry must reach a temperature of 165 ยฐF. Fish should be opaque and flake easily (145 ยบF).
โพ Marinating Mandate. Always marinate food in the refrigerator. Donโt use sauce that was used to marinate raw meat or poultry on cooked food. Reserve a portion of the unused marinade to use as a sauce.
โพ Stay Away from that Same Old Plate. When taking foods off the grill, do not put cooked food items back on the same plate that held raw food, unless it has been washed with hot water and soap first. And in hot weather (above 90ยฐF) foods should never sit out for more than one hour before going in the refrigerator.
โพ When the picnic is over, discard all perishable foods if there is no longer sufficient ice in the cooler or if gel packs are no longer frozen.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ - ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฏ๐, ๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ข๐๐!
fightbac.org/on-the-road-again-traveling-and-picnics/
