Keeping Picnics and Cookouts Safe

Picnics. Who doesn’t enjoy a summer picnic? Good eating and fun times with friends. Send your friends and family home with good treats but not with food poisoning. I tell my students the story of my daughter going to a friend’s house for a cookout. Everyone had a great time with their friends. But the next day my daughter felt sick. She talked to some friends who had gone to the cook out and they were sick too. The cook out resulted in food poisoning for all those who attended. What went wrong? Why did people who went to the cook out get sick? Surely the hostesses didn’t’ intend to make everyone sick. So what food safety precautions can you take to make sure your friends and family enjoy the cookout without getting sick once they get home? Eat Right, the website of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, has a great article, Keep Your Picnic Safe . USDA also has clear guidance and four s...