various meats on grill with flames and someone reaching in with tongs to flip one of the pieces of meat

We know you’d rather not give – or get – food poisoning. Here’s how not to.

Posted on | by Kali McCrackin Goodenough

Food Poisoning — This is a case of not better to give OR receive.

Enjoying the outdoors is part of living in Wyoming. Food safety can be a concern whether enjoying winter or summer activities. While foodborne illnesses are more common in the warmer months, these safe food practices can help you stay healthy all year long.

Farmers Markets and Gardens

  • Wash fruits and vegetables under cool, running water. This is necessary even if you do not eat the outside or the skin. Bacteria from the outside can end up inside when cutting into a melon or peeling a banana.
  • Once cut, keep fruits and vegetables refrigerated.
  • Use separate cutting boards for fresh produce and other foods, like meat and poultry. Wash and sanitize cutting boards between foods to avoid cross-contamination, especially when cutting fruits and vegetables that won’t be cooked.
  • When buying fresh produce at the farmers market, use an insulated grocery bag with an icepack to keep fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens, from wilting.
  • If buying perishables at the farmers market, like meats or dairy products, bring a cooler with ice or icepacks to keep food safe, and put it in a refrigerator as quickly as possible.

Barbeques

  • Wash hands before and after handling raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
  • Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood away from other foods.
  • When grilling, use clean utensils and plates for cooked food and never place cooked foods on a plate that held raw food.
  • When marinating, keep foods refrigerated and do not reuse marinades.
  • Cook foods to the correct temperature. Use a food thermometer to check.
  • Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood refrigerated or in a cooler with ice until ready to cook, and put cooked food away quickly.

Camping

  • Transport foods in a cooler and bring the smallest amount possible. For example, bring a small carton of milk. Discard any perishable foods if the ice melts or the icepacks are no longer frozen.
  • Keep coolers in shady places, covered with a light-colored blanket to reflect the heat.
  • Frozen meat and poultry will stay cold longer in a cooler. Keep these uncooked items away from other foods, especially any foods already cooked or foods meant to be eaten raw.
  • Refrigerate or freeze packaged drinks prior to putting them into the cooler to help keep the ice from melting.

Packed lunches and picnics

  • Use an insulated bag or cooler for lunches and picnics to keep foods cool.
  • Use a thermos or hot pack in a separate insulated bag to keep foods warm.
  • Wash your hands and surfaces before making lunch or packing a picnic.
  • Wash and dry fruits and vegetables before adding them to a lunch box or picnic basket.
  • Foods that can easily spoil must be kept cold.
  • Add ice or an icepack to your lunch or picnic basket. If you do not have an icepack, you can also keep foods cold by freezing items such as water bottles, yogurt, pudding, applesauce, or a 100 percent juice and packing it next to the perishable food right before you leave.

Food safety information

Kali McCrackin Goodenough is the marketing coordinator with the Cent$ible Nutrition Program in the University of Wyoming Extension. She can be reached at (307) 766-4147 or at kali.mccrackingoodenough@uwyo.edu.

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