Food Safety
Camping trips and picnics are healthy pastimes for the entire family and a great way to explore this great land of ours. Whenever families venture out into the great outdoors, these are some basic rules to follow to ensure a safe and happpy time. While most people take safety precautions at a campsite or picnic area, safety actually begins at home, before you've even stepped in your car. There's nothing worse than a food borne illness to ruin a summer outing.
Traveling with food
If food is not handled correctly, food borne illness can ruin your family's trip. Meat and poultry products may contain bacteria that cause foodborne illness. For a start, always remember that old saying: "Keep hot foods hot, cold foods cold."
- Don't let potentially unsafe foods linger at temperatures where bacteria can grow. The "danger zone" is between 4° C and 60° C.
- If you are traveling with cold foods, bring a cooler with a cold source, like ice or freezer packs, so the cold foods remain at 4° C or lower.
- Wrap hot food in foil and heavy towels, or insulated containers to maintain a temperature of 60° C. It is difficult to keep foods hot without a heat source when traveling, so it's best to cook foods before leaving home, cool them, and transport them cold.
- If you are camping for more than one day, you can still bring cold foods for the first day, but you'll have to pack shelf-stable items for the next day, like canned goods, dehydrated foods, or dried fruits and nuts.
- Keep certain foods, like meats and their juices, separated from others during storage and preparation. Bacteria on raw meat and poultry products can be easily spread to other foods by juices dripping from packages, hands, or utensils. When transporting raw meat or poultry, double wrap or place the packages in plastic bags to prevent juices from the raw product from dripping on other foods.
- Always wash your hands before and after handling food, and don't use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Soap and water are essential for cleanliness.
- It is not a good idea to depend on fresh water from a lake or stream, no matter how clean it appears - there is no way of knowing what is in the water. Bring bottled water.
- Keep foods covered. Flies, other insects, or accidental splashing during preparation of other foods can introduce bacteria. Prepare foods quickly, cook them thoroughly, and serve them immediately.
Cooking Outdoors
Children are fascinated by fire. It's common for children to walk right up to a campfire or barbecue grill for a closer look, hold a twig over a flame, or poke at the fire for fun. Rules should be laid out about what behaviours are permitted and not permitted around fires. The most important rule should be: play is not allowed around the campfire or grill. Another common problem and cause of burns to children is carelessness when roasting marshmallows. Marshmallows can catch fire easily and can burn children when they try to extinguish the flames.
Here are some other tips:
- Clear the area around your campfire and grill clear of all debris for at least one metre.
- Set up tents at least five metres upwind of grills and campfires.
- When a fire is lit at the campsite assign an adult to watch it at all times. Keep water nearby for emergencies. Be sure that when you put the fire out you use water and soil. Make sure the fire is completely out, cool to the touch, before going to bed.
- Keep your campfire small and use it only for cooking and warmth.
- Never move a barbecue grill when it's lit, or let children play near it.
- Never use water to control grease flare-ups on gas barbecues. In a fierce flare-up, turn off the gas and remove food. The grease will burn off in a few minutes.
- Never wear loose-fitting clothes around a fire.
- Never cook inside your tent - it's a fire hazard and a carbon monoxide danger.
