Tips For Safe Outdoor Eating

Before you pack for a summer picnic, be sure uninvited guests like food poisoning don't take a seat at your table.

Bring moist towelettes or soap and water to clean your hands and surfaces often.
Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
Keep cooked foods separate from raw meat, fish and poultry.
Pack fresh washed produce that doesn't have bruises or cuts.
Use plenty of ice to keep perishable foods chilled below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
To prevent cross-contamination, bring extra plates -- one for handling raw foods and another for cooked foods.
In that same spirit, bring two cloths -- one to clean areas that have been touched by meat, fish or poultry, and another for ready-to-eat foods.
Transport the cooler in the back seat of your air-conditioned car instead of in your hot trunk.
Don't let foods sit out for more than two hours, and in hot weather (90 degrees or warmer), that time is reduced to one hour.

For more safe outdoor eating tips visit www.homefoodsafety.org.