Michigan University Offers Advice to US Families about Summer Food Safety When Camping

Summer is a time when families routinely enjoy outdoor dining, campfire cookouts, and tasty snacks bought on the go. When the sun is shining and the days are long and hot, it’s the perfect time to eat a selection of good food and cool drinks. However, hot weather can lead to food poisoning breakouts, so experts at Michigan State University have released a handy guide to help families avoid any unpleasant – and potentially lethal – food poisoning episodes during camping trips this summer.

Royalty Free Photo

Food Storage

Millions of US families go camping each summer, but packing up the RV and heading out into the Great Outdoors can sometimes be a recipe for disaster. It’s tempting to skip essential cleaning and maintenance activities before a last-minute camping trip, but a lack of preparation is dangerous for your health.

If your RV has a refrigerator, use a thermometer to make sure it is working correctly. The temperature inside your refrigerator needs to be 2-7 degrees Centigrade. Any higher and it won’t keep your food cold enough. If you discover the refrigerator isn’t working properly, get it fixed or invest in a new one.

Coolers are a useful camping accessory, especially for kids. Check the link to read about the best cooler for camping trips, school snacks, or even grocery trips. A cooler will keep snacks and perishable foods cool until you eat them or can place them in a refrigerator.

RV Water Supply System

Does your RV have an on-board water system? If so, sanitize the system before you hit the road. Water-borne infections are exceedingly dangerous to health. Illnesses such as Legionnaires disease are potentially fatal, so don’t put your family at risk by cutting corners before you go camping.

Prepare Food Safely

Incorrect food preparation is the most common reason why families end up with food poisoning. Cooking on a camping trip is tremendous fun, especially if you elect to roast sausages over an open fire, but it is important that food, in particular meat, is cooked to the required temperature before being eaten.

Undercooked meat is dangerous. Unless meat, poultry, and fish are cooked correctly, dangerous bacteria such as E-coli and Salmonella that are commonly found in meat and poultry, will survive.

Using a meat thermometer is the easiest way to check whether food has reached the required temperature when cooked outdoors. Ribs, steak, and chops need to reach a minimum of 145 F whereas poultry and ground beef should be cooked to a minimum of 165 F. Be careful not to have your campfire too high, or meat will end up charred on the outside and raw in the middle.

Lastly, make sure you wash cooking tools, plates, and cutlery with hot, soapy water and don’t mix raw meat with cooked food.

Remember that a dose of food poisoning is no fun when you are in the middle of nowhere and there are no restrooms for 50 miles. Follow these simple food safety tips and this won’t happen to you.