Summer offers many opportunities for outdoor fun with family and friends.  Whether you are grilling out, camping, or going to a picnic, it is important to follow a few simple rules to keep your food free of bacteria and food borne illness. See the tips below from the FDA for safe food handling to protect you and your loved ones this summer:

Keep cold food cold. Place cold food in a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs. Cold food should be stored at 40°F or below. Meat, poultry, and seafood may be packed while still frozen so that they stay colder longer.

Keep coolers closed. Limit the number of times the cooler is opened as much as you can which can help keep the contents cold longer.

Don’t cross-contaminate. Be sure to keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood securely wrapped to keep their juices from contaminating prepared foods or foods that will be eaten raw, such as fruits and vegetables.

Marinate and defrost foods safely. Marinate or defrost foods in the refrigerator - never on the kitchen counter or outdoors.

Keep food at proper temperatures.  The "Danger Zone" is between 40° F and 140° F – never keep your food in the danger zone for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if outdoor temperatures are above 90° F. This is when bacteria in food can multiply rapidly and make you sick.

 

Below is a link for a healthy, delicious summer dessert recipe that everybody will love from skinnytaste.com:

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2014/05/fruit-pizza.html