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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – As the summer winds down, many families head out for one last road trip before school and work begins again after Labor Day. Families will load up the car, recreational vehicle, boat, or camper for some late summer family fun. You can’t travel without food, but the road to food safety can be safe or treacherous depending on how you handle the goodies you pack.
First rule of food safety – when in doubt throw it out! In hot weather, 90o F or above, discard any food that that has been sitting out for an hour. In an air conditioned RV, boat or summer home, it’s a 2 hour max. If you’ve left food in the boat, RV or summer cottage over the winter, discard any that was subjected to extremes of hot and cold. It is always wise to date foods left from season to season to give you an idea just how long that can of beans has been hanging around.
Make sure to clean the refrigerator in the RV, boat or summer house before loading it up with food. Left closed and unplugged it is a great place for mold to grow. It’s also a good idea to give utensils, dishes and pots a thorough cleaning with hot, soapy water before using.
When packing coolers for the trip, consider taking two – one for the food used along the way and the second for the food to be eaten or cooked at your destination. With two coolers, foods to be eaten later won’t be exposed to warming when the car cooler is opened and closed every time someone wants a drink or snack. It is also wise to separate raw and cooked items. Put well-wrapped, raw meat, fish and poultry in a second cooler away from fresh fruit, sandwiches and drinks. Consider freezing any foods that won’t be used right away. They’ll keep longer and provide extra cooling for items that can’t be frozen. Pack the frozen items at the bottom of the cooler. And, pack coolers full, a full cooler will stay colder longer. If the cooler isn’t full, fill it with extra ice.
When camping, keep foods secure from animals and out of direct sunlight. Consider streams and ponds unsafe for drinking or cooking. Use bottled water or bring water purification tablets or equipment if you are hiking in and can’t carry enough beverages for the trip. Shelf-stable camping meals that do not need to be kept cold are good choices for remote camping areas. Remember to rinse all dishes and utensils well as unrinsed soap residue can cause diarrhea.
At the beach, if you can’t put your cooler in the shade, bury it partially in the sand for insulation, throw a beach towel over it and shade it with a beach umbrella. This is another time when two smaller coolers, one for drinks that can be opened frequently, and a second for food, opened less often, will keep your picnic safer.
If you fish on vacation, handle your catch carefully so you can all enjoy the “catch of the day” without getting sick. Fin fish should be scaled, gutted and rinsed thoroughly as quickly as possible after being caught. Wrap the cleaned fish tightly in plastic wrap and store on ice. Put a layer of ice at the bottom and layer fish and ice alternately to keep your catch cold. Use the iced fish in a day or two or freeze. Crabs, lobsters and shellfish should be kept alive until cooked. Store shellfish in cold water, but put crabs and lobsters in a basket with wet burlap. Crabs and lobsters should be eaten the day they are caught. Live oysters can be kept 7 to 10 days; mussels and clams 4 to 5 days. Eating shellfish raw is not wise as all varieties can carry harmful bacteria.
Packing and carrying foods safely can go a long way to insuring you and your family have a safe and happy vacation. Enjoy and travel safely!
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with 12 current titles and sales in excess of 7 million books. The books are widely available at your local or on-line bookseller.
Current titles include:
The Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2009
The Fat Counter, 7th ed., 2009
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
The Cholesterol Counter, 7th Ed., 2008
The Diabetes Carbohydrate and Calorie Counter, 3rd Ed., 2007
The Calorie Counter, 4th Ed., 2007
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to The Nutrition Experts
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