As you know, here at Hydra Rinse we like to discuss the world of food safety, but this time of year brings a unique type of safety we should all be aware of, firework safety. With the 4th of July coming up, we wanted to refresh your memory on a few key things to remember while celebrating with friends and family.
But we wouldn’t be Hydra Rinse without sharing a few suggestions to help make your summer get-togethers as safe as possible. Incidents of food-related illnesses spike during the summer months. This is due to weekends packed full of picnics and BBQs with friends and family. Remember that it can take anywhere between an hour and 6 weeks to feel sick after eating contaminated food. So to help you avoid that, here are a few quick tips and tricks from the USDA:
- Clean: Make sure you clean all surfaces, utensils, and hands with soap and water.
- Separate: When grilling, use separate plates and utensils for raw meat and cooked meat and ready-to-eat foods (like raw vegetables) to avoid cross-contamination.
- Cook: Cook foods to the right temperature by using a food thermometer. That’s the only way to know it’s a safe temperature. Remember, hamburgers should be cooked to 160°F.
- Chill: Chill raw and prepared foods promptly if not consuming after cooking. You shouldn’t leave food at room temperature for longer than two hours (or 1 hour if outdoor temperatures are above 90° F), so if you’re away from home, make sure you bring a cooler to store those leftovers.
We hope you all have a wonderful time celebrating the 4th, just remember to be safe and enjoy the time you have with friends and family!
Hagen, Elisabeth. “Four Food Safety Tips for the Fourth! How to Protect Your Family from a Surprising July 4th Danger.” USDA, 2 July 2012, www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/07/2/four-food-safety-tips-fourth-how-protect-your-family-surprising-july-4th.
