Summer brings picnics and barbecues to backyards across America, and dinner tables are filled with salty chips and onion dip, hot dogs and cheeseburgers, juicy watermelon, macaroni and potato salad. The aroma of food cooking on the grill grabs everyone’s attention and gets the saliva flowing. And food just tastes better when eaten in the sun with family and friends.
Preparing food and keeping it safe in sweltering heat with temperatures reaching 90 degrees is difficult. One in six Americans gets food poisoning each year. Risks include gastrointestinal infections from food that is undercooked, left out too long, or not cooled enough. The bacterial danger zone for food is 105 to 350 degrees. At these temperatures, bacteria doubles every 20 minutes. The bristles of grill cleaning brushes can also cause serious injury.
To keep perishable foods cold in your cooler, store them separately from beverages to reduce openings. Store the cooler out of direct sunlight. The Academy of Nutrition recommends filling your cooler three-quarters full with refrigerated or frozen foods, plus ice or ice packs.
If the temperature outside is 90 degrees or higher, do not leave food outside for more than an hour. If it’s below 90 degrees, perishable foods, especially dishes with mayonnaise or dairy products, should not be left outside for more than two hours. Cooked meats should be kept warm by means of a grill rack, slow cooker, warming tray, or other means and kept at 140 degrees or higher. Store cold foods in the refrigerator or on ice. The temperature should be below 41 degrees.
Store meat in airtight containers to prevent meat juices from contaminating other foods. Don’t put cooked meat on the same plate or use the same cooking utensils as raw meat. Don’t use marinades that were used for raw meat on cooked meat unless it’s boiled first. Cooking at 165 degrees kills bacteria and brings meat to the safest temperature.
Some foods are better to bring to hot weather get-togethers than others. Foods that can stand up to summer temperatures include fresh vegetable salads, pouched fish or chicken, Mediterranean dishes, fresh fruit, dried fruit and nuts, fruit salsas, oil and vinegar coleslaw, fruit bars, and vegetable-based chips.
Remember to wash your hands frequently when preparing and eating food, and if water isn’t easily available at your picnic, bring hand sanitizer, hand wipes, or portable water and soap.
Another lesser known health risk at picnics is the potential danger posed by wire grill brush bristles. The bristles can break off and remain on the grill, getting into your food. If you unknowingly swallow the bristles, it could require surgery. This has happened so often that the American Medical Association is calling on the government to require warning labels on wire grill brushes.
The hairs can cause injury to the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach and intestines. In the intestines, they can cause perforation, which can be life-threatening. If they become lodged in the throat, they are invisible and can be difficult to find even on a CT scan, which can lead to life-threatening complications and infections.
Always wipe down your grill before using it and inspect it for any remaining hair. Discard old and frequently used brushes. Alternatives to grill cleaners include stone cleaning blocks, wooden scrapers, nylon fiber brushes, blunt-tipped scrapers, and rolled-up aluminum foil. It is important to alert health care providers to this risk to ensure early diagnosis and treatment. It is also important to raise awareness among consumers and policy makers.
We hope you all had a safe and delicious Fourth of July, be careful with what you grill, and hope that your summer picnics are just picnics, not illnesses and emergency room visits.
Take care of yourself and others.
Juanita Karns is a nurse who lives in Westfield and has worked in the hospital emergency department and urgent care facility for 38 years. She served on the Westfield Board of Health for 30 years.
