Take extra steps to keep bacteria out of food

Warm, sunny weather — You love it, the children love it, and bacteria love it.

Although you have to be cautious about food poisoning year-round, summer is prime time, because disease-causing microorganisms thrive in the warmer temperatures. You probably know the basics — keep hot foods hot; refrigerate or freeze perishable foods promptly; wash hands before and after touching food; scrub cutting boards and utensils after they’ve touched any raw meat; and cook meat and dairy products to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees.

Good advice, as far as it goes. But sickening amounts of salmonella and other contaminants can sneak into food in ways you might not have thought of.

The following summer trouble spots, say food-safety experts, are that we’re most likely to overlook.

• Germy hands. It might be a minor victory anytime you get your children to wash their hands before they eat, but when they’re at a picnic, barbecue or campground, chances are probably even lower. The solution: pre-moistened wipes.

• Hot coolers. Remember, a cooler isn’t a refrigerator. If you pack it full of warm food, throwing in a few ice cubes is never going to chill it to the necessary 40 degrees. So chill food before packing. Put the most perishable items on the bottom, ice packs at the top (where heat rises). And if you’re going to have lots of hands opening the chest for beverages, pack drinks in a second cooler.

• Problematic produce. Uncooked fruits and vegetables — whether grown in the ground, on vines or bushes — are increasingly the culprits in food-borne disease.

Refrigerate whole fruits and vegetables.

Wash everything thoroughly under running water, even if you’re going to peel it or cut it open and eat only the insides (as with cantaloupe). The reason for this is that the knife or peeler itself can transfer surface germs to the interior of the fruit or vegetable.

One study showed that a couple of tablespoons of vinegar in the rinse water markedly reduced the number of bacteria.

• Failing to factor in high heat. Perishable foods can stay outside the refrigerator up to a total of two hours. But this rule assumes normal room temperatures — about 70 degrees.

If you’re outside on a hot day, scale back accordingly. If it’s 90 degrees, for instance, perishables need to be refrigerated after an hour.

• Chicken blunder. Because it’s hard to grill chicken so the inside is fully cooked without the outside burning, many cooks like to boil or bake it first then grill it. But if chicken is cooked only partway and refrigerated or allowed to sit out before it’s finished off on the grill, you’ve effectively warmed the innermost part to germ-generating temperatures without heating it to the kill point.

Either stick with straight grilling or move chicken right from the pot or baking pan to coals.

• Contaminated convenience food. Fast food, ready-made dishes from markets and deli foods are appealing options for picnics. Just assume these foods already have used up their two-hour sitting-around limit during preparation and handling at the store.

Eat or refrigerate them immediately.

• Crowded refrigerators. Keep in mind air can’t circulate in an overstuffed fridge, which can create warm spots.

Buy smaller amounts of food or use coolers for less-perishable overflow.

If you take these extra steps, your family’s next picnic or barbecue is bound to be safe and fun.

Sally Robinson is a clinical professor of pediatrics at UTMB Children’s Hospital, and Keith Bly is an assistant professor of pediatrics in the UTMB Children’s Emergency Room. This column isn’t intended to replace the advice of a physician.