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Do not let food poisoning damage your picnic – six tips to ensure the safety of the spread
Jul
Nothing says that summer is like a picnic. Regardless of whether you are on a beach towel, stretch in the park or unpack the basket in the garden, picnics are a beloved way of good food in the fresh air.
In Great Britain itself, the picnic food market is worth over 2 billion pounds Every year with Millions of us going away On the festival in the open air with family or friends when the sun shines.
But although idyllic may seem, picnics have a hidden risk, especially when it comes to food safety. Without access to refrigerators, ovens or running water, the chances of food transmitted diseases such as diarrhea escalate. So how can you keep the spread both delicious and unthreatening?
The heated, radiant weather is perfect for picnics – and unfortunately also for bacteria. High temperatures can cause rapid multiplication of harmful microorganisms in some foods – especially meat, eggs, dairy products or salads with creamy dressings. Add a few flies or sullied hands, and your picnic can become a recipe for the disease.
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Food poisoning bacteria can find a path to picnic food from several sources: it flies on discovered dishes, unwashed hands, sacred tools, and even from too long leaving lost food in the sun.
This is not just a theoretical risk. There were several well -documented explosions related to picnics, including One event in Texas where over 100 people developed diarrhea and fever after eating contaminated food Salmonella. Otherwise at the church picnic in Ohio, Clostridium botulinum – a bacterium that can be fatal – polluted potato salad and led to one death.
Read more: Salmonella are of a ten-year highest level in England, what you can do to ensure safety
Six tips to enjoy a picnic safely
However, with a few basic steps you can protect yourself and others, enjoying this holiday in the open air:
1. Keep frosty food. If you bring dishes that usually require cooling (think meat, cheese, mayonnaise egg), do not pack them until the last moment. Utilize a nice bag or an insulated box with ice packs or frozen water bottles to support cooling. When you don’t leave, remove the food from the radiator only when it’s time to eat and always try to keep them in the shade.
2. Watch the clock. On scorching days, consumed foods within two hours (or four hours, if it is gentle). Then throw away all leftovers. He is not tempted to take food home and store them in the fridge “just in case” – One family in Belgium This is what I did with the salad and two days later it ended in severe food poisoning.
3. Wash these hands. Picnics often mean touching tables, grass, pets or public benches – all potential sources of bacteria. Sanitiser Hand is your best friend. Utilize it before serving or eating any food.
4. Step. Insects, especially flies, can carry bacteria and leave them when they land. Keep food in closed containers or cover with foil or tidy cloths to protect your spread. This helps to repel animals (and dishonest seagulls).
5. Prepare fresh products correctly. Salads, fruits and vegetables are picnic staples, but they should be thoroughly washed before packing. Even sprayed leaves can apply rinsing. Pack them in tidy containers and don’t let the utensils touch sullied surfaces.
Read more: Modern study: Salmonella blooms in salad bags
6. Keep your accessories. Bring enough spoons, pliers and plates – and avoid putting them on picnic tables or soil. A spare tidy plate is always a good idea when it comes to a unthreatening portion.
Enjoy food, not precipitation
Picnics should leave you heated memories – no stomach cramps. Following these foundations of food safety, you can enjoy a feast in the fresh air without unwanted effects. From chilled pasta salads to hand -cut fruit or this classic homemade quiche, unthreatening food is elated food.
So pack the blanket, grab a nice bag and immerse the sun – just keep the bacteria at the distance.
Read more: Food safety: SNIFF test, five -second rules and scarce burgers?
