By CATHERINE MASTERS
It's a hot, hot day, hmmm, what to do?
Without too much fuss the family decides a picnic is the way to go and there is some frantic packing of the old, battered picnic basket.
In goes some ham sandwiches and the leftover chicken, a couple of bottles of plonk and some juice for the kids.
Sounds good?
Well, it might sound good and it might even look good - but the naked eye cannot see those millions of bacteria rapidly multiplying on your bit of ham or chicken that has been left on the picnic rug in the sun too long.
Biting into it might just double you or the kids over with vomiting and cramps.
The first mistake the family made was not to take their food along in a chilly bin or at least with it snugly surrounded by a lot of ice packs.
Kathy Pritchard, of Auckland Healthcare's public health division, says people need to get in the habit of putting food in chilly bins when taking it outdoors and to keep it as cold as possible.
"Bugs will multiply more quickly in this weather.
"The Foodsafe Campaign message is Cook - so you have to cook everything properly like barbecuing chicken and sausages.
"Preferably precook them if you are taking them away.
"Cool - keep everything cool.
"Then Cover - it keeps flies off and avoids raw meats dropping onto cooked, and Clean everything - especially wash your hands," says Kathy Pritchard.
SAFETY TIPS
* Think clean hands. Hands come into contact with all sorts of disease-causing bacteria, from taking out the garbage, to going to the toilet, to covering a sneeze, to cutting raw meat. Take along to the picnic some soap and water or towlettes.
* Cutting surfaces and food implements must be kept clean.
* If barbecuing is included at the picnic the rule is cook chicken, sausages and minced products like hamburger patties until the juices run clear - there should be no pink.
* Do not pack your foods into the chilly bin if they have just been cooked or are still warm. Hot food won't cool down fast enough in a cooler to stop bacteria growing.
* The picnic basket will not keep food cold enough so leave it for plates and uncorked bottles.
* Cut down on food handling by cutting up the meat at home.
* Don't take risks with leftovers.
Herald Online Health
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