Picnic Safety

Food Safety Hints and Tips

As always, wash hands and work areas before preparing food.
Cook foods in plenty of time to thoroughly chill them in shallow containers in the refrigerator.
Have enough coolers with ice or frozen gel packs in which to store the perishable foods like meat, poultry, fish, eggs and salads. You want to keep the food at 40 degrees F. Pack foods right from the refrigerator into the coolers.
Don't put the cooler in the car trunk; Carry it inside an air-conditioned car. At picnics, keep the cooler in the shade and keep the lid closed. Replenish the ice if it melts.
Use a separate cooler for drinks so the one containing the food won't constantly be opened and closed.
Find out if there's a source of safe drinking water at your destination. If not, bring water for preparation and cleaning; or pack clean, wet, disposable cloths or moist towelettes and paper towels for cleaning hands and surfaces. Cross-contamination during preparation, grilling, and serving food is a prime cause of food borne illness.
Pack raw meats, poultry, or seafood on the bottom of the cooler. This will reduce the risk of them dripping on other foods. Pack coolers until they are full. A full cooler will stay cold longer than one that is partially full.
If you plan on getting takeout foods such as fried chicken, Eat them within an hour of pick up.
Do not partially grill extra meat or poultry to use later. Once you begin, cook until completely done to assure bacteria are destroyed. Grill raw poultry until the juices run clear and there is no pink. Hamburger should not be pink in the center.
When taking food off the grill, Don't put the cooked items on the same platter which held the raw meat unless you have washed the platter in between uses.
Two Hour Rule. Don't leave perishable food un-refrigerated for more than two hours. Put perishable foods back in the cooler or refrigerator as soon as you finish eating. Don't leave them out while you go for a swim or a hike, and don't leave them out all afternoon to nibble on.
Chances are, picnic leftovers have been sitting out for more than an hour or two. Discard these leftovers. Cold food that were kept in a cooler that still has ice may be safe. If the ice has melted, the food should be discarded.

First Aid Kit for Picnics

When traveling, it's always a good idea to have a first aid kit around. Here are some items you'll want to have on hand for car travel, picnics and other outings.

Bactine (or other antiseptic) - Soap and water are your best bet for cleaning, but when you're on the go, it's good to have Bactine, since you may not be near a water source. It also has a mild pain reliever, helpful for those scrapes and cuts children often get on playgrounds or sidewalk walks. Bactine comes in a liquid, spray and wipes -- all handy, however I recommend the liquid since it can be used to flush out any dirt particles in an injury.
Gauze Pads - Gauze pads should always be part of your first aid arsenal. They come in many sizes, but it's best to buy the largest size and cut them down if necessary.
Scissors - Useful for cutting gauze pads (as mentioned above), for cutting adhesive tape, shoelaces, clothing and just about anything you can think of in an emergency -- scissors are a must. Invest in a good pair of curved medical scissors. Pointed sewing (or other) scissors can be difficult to manage in an urgent situation and could lead to further injury.
Adhesive Tape - Adhesive tape comes in handy for many first aid needs, including forming splints and securing gauze pads.
Ace Bandage - Ace bandages used to come with the spiky fasteners, but now wrapping is easier thanks to the convenience of velcro.
Instant Cold Pack - An instant cold pack is essential to ease swelling of bumps and bruises when you lack access to ice. It's a good idea to purchase several since these are for one use only.
Latex Gloves - Latex gloves help keep both parties -- the injured and anyone giving first aid -- safe from bacteria, disease and other harmful conditions. They're also great to have around for situations requiring clean up of bodily fluids or changing particularly messy diapers. When finished, the diaper can be sealed inside the gloves and thrown away.
Band-Aids - Band-aids take care off all sorts of small injuries. Your best bet is to buy a box with a variety of sizes and shapes to cover all your bases. Today's band-aids also come with added antibacterial protection.
Tweezers - Tweezers are great for splinters, removing ingrown hairs or nabbing hang nails. A medical pair is good to have, but I'm partial to this pair which has a clear-view function so you can actually see what you're trying to remove -- very helpful when you have a squirming child.
Sting and Bite Treatment - On the playground or picnic -- ant bites, stings and other insect issues arise. Keeping a bite and sting kit around will help ease the pain. If you know your child has allergies, it's a good idea to couple this with benadryl or have an Epi-pen with you at all times.

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