As the summer rolls around, so do outdoor barbecues and picnics at beaches, lakes, and backyards. However, because of the warmer summer temperatures, extra precautions need to be taken in handling food safely. With some basic and proper handling, preparation, and storage, summertime foods can be safe as well as delicious.

Some recommended advice on food safety for summertime picnicking:

• Keep hot food hot. If you are going to prepare barbecued food or take warm food with you to a picnic site, make sure that it is piping hot when it is put into insulated containers. Be sure to eat this hot food immediately, or prepare to thouroughly chill it if you plan to eat it later on.
• Keep cold food cold. Make sure you have cold food items packed well in ice. If you plan to cook raw meat or food at a picnic site, keep them packed in ice at 40 degrees fahrenheit or lower. Food products will warm up rapidly when taken out of an ice chest and set out on a table. Bacteria begins to grow rapidly as the temperature rises to a limit of 140 degrees fahrenheit.
• Do not use the same platter when placing meat on the grill and taking it off. If you have raw meat on a platter and put the meat on the grill, use a clean platter for meat just coming off the grill. This will prevent cross-contamination of cooked meat and raw meat juices.
• Cutting boards used in food preparation are also a potential source of problems. Using the same board to cut up chicken and then to chop salad ingredients is not a good idea. A good cleaning and sanitizing of the cutting board after chopping up raw meat products will minimize the risk of cross-contamination.
• Be sure to wash your hands. If you are at home and you are barbecuing in the backyard, make sure after you have handled the raw meat that you wash your hands thoroughly with water as hot as you can stand, scrubbing with soap and water for 20 seconds. If you are out at a picnic site, take some wipes that you can wipe your hands with if there isn't any running water or hand-washing facility around.
• Generally, do not leave food out beyond two hours. Anything past two hours should be discarded. Anything that is going to be cooked normally cannot be cooled rapidly in an ice chest to make it safe.
• When in doubt, throw it out.

For more information please contact Donna Nuzzi, Emergency Services Supervisor, at (661) 286-4093 or via email at dnuzzi@santa-clarita.com