Keep it Cool When Eating Outdoors

You're planning a picnic on one of the hottest days of summer. How can you make sure your food stays fresh? Dangerous bacteria can spread quickly and cause illness, so the way you pack your food can mean the difference between a fun day in the sun and food poisoning.

Try these tips for packing your cooler:

• Keep it full: Pack your cooler to capacity with ice and chilled food. It will stay cool longer than a partially filled cooler.
• Ice it: Fill your cooler with ice or freezer packs. Pack the ice in plastic bags to keep it from melting onto your food.
• Avoid cross-contamination: Place raw meat, poultry and fish in tightly sealed plastic containers or plastic bags. Their raw juices could contaminate other foods in your cooler.
• Consider two coolers: Placing meat and fish in one cooler and ready-to-eat foods and beverages in another will help prevent cross-contamination. They will also be easier to carry.
• Pack your cooler carefully: Make sure food is cold or frozen before packing it. Place perishable foods right next to ice. Pack foods in the reverse order of how they'll be used. The last foods you put in the cooler should be the first ones you'll use. Keep the cooler lid closed.
• Keep it cool: When traveling, place the cooler on the floor on the passenger's side of the car. Don't put a cooler in a hot trunk. Once at your picnic, keep your cooler in a shaded location and cover it with a light-colored blanket. Don't place it in direct sunlight or leave it in the car.
• Check the temperature: Keep a thermometer in your cooler and make sure the temperature is at or below 40 degrees F. Anything higher is in the danger zone, so keep replenishing the ice to avoid any rises in temperature.
• Don't let your food sit out too long: Don't let foods (hot or cold) sit out for more than two hours. For temperatures above 85 degrees F, make that one hour. Put perishables into the cooler as soon as you've finished eating. Remember - when in doubt, throw it out.

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External Sources United States Department of Agriculture Iowa State University

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