Safe Food for the Great Outdoors

Good planning and a few simple food safety tips will help people limit the risk of getting sick at home and outside during the summer, says Gary Moulton, food safety educator for the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

The department's Food Safety Division wants Nova Scotians to prevent foodborne illness when preparing for their summer camping trips, beach days and barbecuing. The concern arises at this time of year because most cases of foodborne illness in Nova Scotia are reported during June through September.

Last year, more than half of the 400 cases of foodborne illness were reported during the province's four warmest months.

Foodborne illness peaks during the summer months for two reasons.

• Bacteria present in the environment, people and animals grow fastest in high temperatures and a moist environment. So they become readily available during Nova Scotia's hot and humid summer.

• People spend more time outdoors. They barbecue and eat at picnics and they travel, camp and hike. The environment for food safety found in kitchens -- controlled cooking, refrigeration, and washing facilities -- are usually not available and often overlooked.

"When involved in outdoor activities, people should use the same food safety tips -- clean, separate, cook and chill -- they use in their kitchens," said Mr. Moulton. "Thinking ahead about your menu, water supply and washing facilities will make a difference."

The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries' Food Safety Specialists are ready to talk to Nova Scotians about food safety. They can be reached at 902-424-4560. Food safety or visit the Food Safety Section on our Web site at, www.gov.ns.ca/nsaf/foodsafety .

NOTE: The following is a backgrounder on food safety tips.

Safe Food for the Great Outdoors

Following some simple advice from the Food Safety Section of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries can help you avoid turning a pleasant outdoor adventure into one you would rather forget.

First, there are some general tips that apply when taking foods to the great outdoors.

PLAN AHEAD

Carefully consider your menu and take along only food you need. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

• If taking perishable food like meat, poultry, salads or sandwiches, place them in a cooler with a cold source. Consider taking along some foods that do not require refrigeration - peanut butter, canned tuna, canned meats, dried meats, hard cheeses, fresh fruits, vegetables, breads, and crackers.

• Use a sturdy insulated cooler, with block ice, frozen gel packs or water frozen in plastic or paper cartons for your cold source. Put cold beverages in a separate cooler as it will be opened more often.

• If you plan to eat take-out food, such as fried chicken, you should eat it within two hours of purchase, or purchase it the day before and chill in your refrigerator before packing in your cooler.

• It is difficult to transport foods hot without a source of heat. Foods in a thermos or insulated dishes will remain hot for several hours. For longer periods it is better to chill cooked food before leaving home.

PACKING IT UP

Avoid cross-contamination by keeping uncooked meat or poultry separated from cooked foods or foods that are ready to eat such as fruit.

• Start with cold food. Pack directly from the refrigerator or freezer and pack in reverse-use order. First foods packed are last to be used. You may want to precool the cooler by filling with ice or ice water about an hour before you pack it. Leave room for air to circulate -- fill the cooler but do not pack tightly.

• Use tightly sealed plastic containers for foods that may drip or leak, particularly raw meat, poultry or fish. Store raw meat, poultry and fish in the bottom of the cooler.

• For longer trips, take an extra cooler -- one with food for immediate use, like lunch or snacks, and the other for food that will be used later. Replenish ice as it melts.

• Place coolers in the passenger area of the car and not in the trunk.

• If taking uncooked meat or poultry to barbecue, take along a thermometer to check the temperatures to make sure it is throughly cooked. Hamburgers and other ground meats must be cooked to an internal temperature of 70 C (160 F). Ground poultry must be cooked to 72 C (165 F). Whole poultry should be cooked to 82 C (180 F), measured in the thigh, and breasts or pieces should be cooked to 77 C (170 F). Large portions of beef such as roasts and steaks can be cooked to 63 C (145 F) for medium rare or to 70 C (160 F) for medium.

• If taking meat or poultry to cook at a picnic or other outing, do not partially cook ahead of time as this allows bacteria to survive and grow to the point where subsequent cooking may not destroy them.

KEEP IT CLEAN

• Always wash your hands and utinsels with hot water and soap. If you are going where water is not available, take it along with you. Disposable wipes or a moist clean washcloth wrapped in plastic can be used for cleaning surfaces and hands where water is not available.

WATER SUPPLY

Access to a safe (potable) water supply may be difficult. Unless you know that the supply is safe, you should take along bottled water or water from a tested source.

• When hiking or camping do not depend on water from lakes or streams even if it looks clean. Even remote streams may be contaminated by animals further up-stream.

• When in remote or wilderness areas, the best way to make sure that water is safe is by boiling it. Bring the water to a rolling boil and continue to boil for two minutes.

• Water purification tablets are available for treating water. Some bacteria and parasites such as crytosporidium and giardia are not removed by purification tablets and a water filter (at least 1 micron or smaller) should be used. Both purification tablets and filtering equipment are available at most camping supply stores.

CAMPING OR HIKING

• When hiking, choose foods that are easy to carry (lightweight and do not require refrigeration). Some foods are dried meat or soup mixes, peanut butter, canned tuna or meats, dehydrated foods and dried fruit or nuts.

• If taking perishable foods, keep the food cold. This is important. Refrigerate or freeze food the night before and pack it with a cold source such as frozen gel packs or frozen box drinks. As the drink boxes melt they can be used as beverages.

• When camping, keep your cooler in a shady spot. Keep it covered with a tarp or blanket and remember to replenish the ice.

AT THE BEACH OR BOATING

Perishable foods left out of the refrigerator should be consumed within two hours. In warm summer weather, with temperatures above 30 C (90 F), foods should be eaten within one hour.

• The sun on the beach or the water can be very hot. It is important to keep foods in the cooler, which should be placed in the shade or covered with a blanket. Take along plenty of ice.

• Take along moist wash cloths or towellettes for cleaning hands.

• Caution: Be aware of the danger of eating raw shellfish -- you should not do it.

• If eating at food stands along the beach, make sure that hot foods are hot and cold foods are cold and all foods are throughly cooked.