Food Safety for Picnics and Grilling 
Picnics, barbecues, and potlucks are wonderful ways to celebrate summer holidays, but whatever your plans, take care to prepare and transport food safely. Whether your picnic is an big event or a simple cook-out, a little planning will help prevent foodborne illnesses common during the summer months.
Bacteria begin to multiply between 40°F and 135°F, so it's important to keep it either cold or hot right up to the moment of cooking and/or serving.
If food is not cooked right it can make you sick. That includes under cooked meat, poultry and seafood. And what most people don’t realize is, contaminated fruits and vegetables are a big cause of foodborne illness too.
You can start to feel the affects of the not so fabulous food anywhere from a few hours to 5 days after eating it. So often it is hard to pinpoint the culprit. There are simple steps that you can take to make sure that the food is safe.
Four Steps to Food Safety
Clean, Cook, Chill, and Separate
Transporting Food Safety
- Make sure your cooler will keep foods at 41°F, or plan foods that are less perishable, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese, peanut butter, etc.
- Keep drinks in a separate cooler, since it will be opened more often or here’s a great tip: freeze your water bottles and use them to keep your ready to eat foods cold.
- Try to take only what will be eaten so you won't have leftovers. Food that has been out of the refrigerator for 2 hours should be thrown out.
- Don't partially precook meat or poultry before transporting; cook until done then chill before packing in the cooler.
- Pack condiments in small containers rather than taking whole jars.
- Keep cooler in the inside of the car rather than the hot trunk, then in the shade at your picnic site; add new ice often. Hint: place ice in zip sealed plastic bags and layer between your food items to keep all food cool at 41ºF and below.
- If you cook food ahead of time, chill thoroughly before putting it in the cooler. If you take hot food, wrap the dish in aluminum foil and towels to keep it above 135°F; if it's a long trip (more than 2 hours) it is best not to take a hot dish.
- Take-out foods like fried chicken or barbecue should be eaten within 2 hours of purchase or thoroughly chilled before adding to the cooler and transporting.
About Food Safety in Columbus
Food Protection Program