Are you looking forward to a fantastic summer? Beaches, warm weather and naturally – BBQ’s.

Along with the relaxing atmosphere and ease of preparing a BBQ dinner or picnic for friends and family come a few well known risks. You’re in all likelihood aware that e.coli and salmonella could cause symptoms that range from mild discomfort to serious emergencies. But how come is this more common during summer meals and how can you protect your loved ones without wrecking your summer?

During the summertime when we’re picnicking or having a BBQ we’re not preparing a meal with the common amenities we have in the house – sink, oven, fridge. Because of this we’re more likely to forget to wash hands, store food properly or even grab a clean plate to serve food.

Here are a few ways you are able to protect yourself from summertime dining outdoors:

SEPARATE

From the food market, to the cart, to the fridge, to the table – keep meats and other food separated.

Always wrap meats even when thawing to prevent the juices from dripping onto other foods, particularly produce. Produce has been identified as a culprit in some food poisoning cases.

WASH

Wash hands, cutting boards, dishes and food.

Always wash your hands prior to and after preparing foods. Never serve cooked meat on the same plate or tray that you had it on when raw – make certain the resident BBQ expert is given a clean plate to place the finished product on. Also thoroughly clean knives and cutting boards. Ideally you should use a separate cutting board for bread and produce and a different for meat products.

Wash produce in cold water and scrub thick skinned foods like cantaloupe as the bacteria could come in contact with the flesh of the fruit when being cut.

COLD and HOT

Keep cold food cold and hot food hot.

Food can generally last for 2 hours at room temperature, but that’s lessened to one hour in warm weather. Cold food (potato salad, sandwiches etc.) should stay in the fridge until ready to serve. If the food must travel, be sure to use ice or commercial freezing gel packets. Hot food should likewise stay insulated.

When eating outdoors try to keep cold food in the shade and make sure warm food is wrapped and insulated.

When the food is no longer being consumed it should be returned to the refrigerator or insulated carrier. Food should stay hot or cold for as long as it’s being served and then refrigerated in clean, covered containers. If you’re not able to refrigerate it within a couple hours it’s best to throw it out.

If you suspect a mild case of food poisoning than try to limit the foods you consume to the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. In more dangerous cases you should seek emergency treatment when there are signs of pain, vomiting for numerous hours or bloody diarrhea. Pregnant women, elderly, those with immune disorders and children are more at risk.

Food safety is an important part of a fun summer. Taking safeguards will help you enjoy your meals and avoid serious consequences.