University of Wisconsin - Extension

It's summer - a time for picnics, camping trips, vacations, and....foodborne illness.

It's true that more people get foodborne illness during the summer than other times of the year. But the warm, humid weather is only one reason, according to a University of Wisconsin- Extension food science specialist.

"The other reason more people get sick in summer is because of human error," says Barbara Ingham, also a professor at UW-Madison. "More people are cooking outside at picnics, on camping trips, and at barbecues. The safety controls we have in our kitchens - thermostat- controlled cooking, refrigeration, and washing facilities - are not as available outside our homes."

Ingham says fortunately, people rarely get sick from contaminated food because most people have a healthy immune system that protects them from harmful bacteria on food. However, people also can greatly reduce their likelihood of foodborne illness by taking these four steps:

Wash hands and surfaces often. Wash with hot, soapy water before handling food and after using the bathroom, handling pets or changing diapers. If you are eating away from home with no clean water, bring your own. Or, pack wet disposable towelettes and paper towels for cleaning surfaces and hands.

Avoid cross-contamination. When packing a cooler for an outing, wrap raw meats so juices are sealed in and don't drip on other food. Washing plates, utensils and cutting boards that help raw meat or poultry before using again for cooked food.

Cook to proper temperatures. Proper cooking kills bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. Take a meat thermometer along. Cook hamburger and ground meats to 160 degrees F., and ground poultry to 165 degrees F. Steaks and roasts that have been tenderized or rolled should be cooked to 160 degrees F. for medium and 170 degrees F. for well-done. Whole steaks and roasts may be cooked to 145 degrees F. for medium rare. Whole poultry should be cooked to 180 degrees F. in the thigh, or 170 degrees F. in the breast. Meat and poultry should be cooked completely at the picnic site.

Chill foods promptly. Cold, perishable foods like lunch meats, potato or pasta salad, cooked meat or check should be kept in an insulated cooker with ice or ice packs until serving time. Consider packing drinks in a separate cooler, because that cooler probably will be opened more frequently. Keep picnic coolers out of direct sunlight. If you can't take a cooler, consider packing whole fruits, vegetables, hard cheeses, canned or dried meats, dried cereal, bread, peanut butter, and crackers.

Ingham says if the day is hot, leftovers or ready-to-eat foods should not be left out of the refrigerator more than one hour.