5 Summer Food Safety Tips to Keep your Family Healthy

Does summer arrive in your region? This season is the best time of year to enjoy outdoor activities like barbecues and picnics.

Also, rising temperatures can create an excellent habitat for germs to reproduce fast, increasing the risk of foodborne illness.

Food safety in the summer is especially crucial for those already undergoing health issues. To ensure your family stays healthy and safe while enjoying summer meals, many food safety tips are available. Here are the five best summer food safety tips to keep your family healthy:

Practice good hygiene

The kitchen, the heart of the home, must be clean and neat. No one likes to cook in the dirty kitchen, right? Maintaining cleanliness in the kitchen is critical for food safety.

Always wash your hands before cooking, especially after handling raw meats, poultry, or eggs, to avoid transmitting foodborne infections. To get rid of any leftover bacteria, wash cutting boards, cutlery, and surfaces with bleach or hot, soapy water.

Before peeling, thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables with water to eliminate bacteria-containing surface debris. However, avoid washing raw meats, poultry, or eggs inside the kitchen sink because this might spread infections around the kitchen.

Store leftovers properly

Do you have the habit of storing leftover food? Most people have the habit of storing leftover food. This is not wrong, but leftover food must be properly stored.

These foods can be a breeding ground for bacteria, so it is important to store them properly. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of cooking, and make sure to store them in shallow containers to allow for quick cooling.

Don't use leftover foods for long days. Reheat them to an internal temperature of 165°F before eating. 

Avoid cross-contamination

Are you using the same container for cooking both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food? If yes, then try to keep separate utensils. This can cause cross-contamination. To avoid cross-contamination and preserve food safety, separate various foods during meal preparation.

Using separate utensils and surfaces can help prevent the spread of foodborne illness. For example, while making chicken fajitas, use one cutting board to slice raw chicken and another to slice peppers and onions.

Similarly, avoid using the same plate for raw and cooked patties when grilling hamburgers. By following these guidelines, you can reduce the chance of cross-contamination while protecting your and others' health.

Cook Food Completely

Some individuals will turn off the gas before the meat cooks well. This undercooked meat can contain harmful bacteria that can cause foodborne illness.

To ensure that meat is cooked thoroughly, use a thermometer to check the internal temperature. The food thermometer is an essential kitchen equipment that will help you avoid overcooked pork chops and ensure that you cook items to the proper temperature.

Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F, while poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F. 

Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot

When the summer season arrives, it is essential to keep cold and hot foods cold. Do you know why we should keep food in such a state?

Foodborne bacteria thrive in warm temperatures, so it is important to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot to prevent them from growing. Cold foods should be stored at 40°F or below, and hot foods should be kept at 140°F or above.

When transporting food, use a cooler with ice packs to keep cold foods cold and food warmer to keep hot foods hot.

Final Words

Following these summer food safety tips can help prevent foodborne illness and keep your family healthy. With these simple steps, you can enjoy all summer's fun and food without worrying about food safety.