Is Your Ice Safe?
By Howard Seltzer, National Education Advisor, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA
On average, American consumers buy four bags of packaged ice each year - not surprisingly, 80 percent of it between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Packaged ice may be shaved, cubed, nuggeted, or crushed. It may be made from tap water, spring water, or purified water. But no matter what the shape or the source, ice is considered a food by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If it is made in one state and sold In another, packaged ice is regulated, as a food. FDA rules require that packaged ice must be produced with properly cleaned and maintained equipment from water that is safe and sanitary, and that it is stored and transported in clean and sanitary conditions.
To make sure you handle packaged ice safely, treat it like it's a food:
At Home
- Use clean, non-breakable utensils to handle ice, such as tongs or an ice scoop
- Avoid touching ice with dirty hands or glasses
- Store ice only in clean containers that are safe for storing food
For Picnics
- Raw foods that will be packed with loose ice in a cooler should be wrapped securely to prevent water from the melting ice from cross-contaminating the foods in the cooler -- for example, carrying juices from raw meat to vegetables
- Put a separate bag of ice in a cooler to use in drinks. Don't use loose ice from a cooler full of raw foods
For Parties
If you plan to pour packaged ice into a tub or sink for guests to use in their drinks:
- First wash the receptacle thoroughly with a mixture of one teaspoon of unscented liquid bleach to a quart of water
- Rinse with clean water
- Let it air-dry or pat dry with fresh paper towels
- Be sure to have several scoops, tongs, or other utensils handy with which your guests can pick up ice without touching it with their hands
When the Power Goes Out
A refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours and a full freezer for about 48 hours if they are not opened. If the power is out for a prolonged period, the best bet to keep food cold in the refrigerator or freezer is dry ice, if you can find it. If you can't, block ice or packaged ice are useful alternatives, but ice will melt, so put them in water-tight receptacles or wrap them in an Intact plastic bag (packaged Ice bags often develop leaks from handling) so that they won't make a mess as they melt.
Keep Food Poisoning from Ruining your Vacation
By Diane Van, Food Safety Education Staff Deputy Director, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
We look forward all year to our summer vacations. Whether you’re camping, hitting the beach, boating, or relaxing in a mountain cabin or beach house, you’ll probably be packing food.
Plan Ahead
When planning meals for a vacation, think about buying shelf-stable foods, such as canned foods, to stay safe. If you are packing perishable foods (meat, poultry, eggs, and salads) for eating on the road or to cook at your vacation spot, plan to keep everything on ice in your cooler. Have plenty of ice or frozen gel-packs on hand before starting to pack food. Consider packing drinks in a separate cooler so the food cooler is not opened frequently. Read last week’s blog to learn more tips on packing a cooler.
Pack Safely
Double wrap or place raw meat and poultry in plastic bags to prevent juices from raw products from dripping on cooked foods, or foods meant to be eaten raw, such as fruits.
For long trips, take along two coolers — one for the day's immediate food needs, such as lunch, drinks or snacks, and the other for perishable foods to be used later in the vacation. Limit the times the cooler is opened. Open and close the lid quickly.
Once your vacation starts, follow these food safety tips:
When Camping
Keep the cooler in a shady spot. Cover it with a blanket, tarp or poncho, preferably one that is light in color to reflect heat.
Always wash your hands before and after handling food, and don't use the same plate and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Soap and water are essential to cleanliness, so if you are going somewhere that will not have running water, bring it with you. Disposable wipes will do for hands, but you’ll need soap and water for the dishes.
When Boating
If you are boating on vacation, or out for the day, make sure the all-important cooler is along. Don't let perishable food sit out while swimming or fishing. Remember, food sitting out for more than 2 hours is not safe. The time frame is reduced to just 1 hour if the outside temperature is above 90 °F.
When at the Beach
Plan ahead and take along only the amount of food that can be eaten to avoid having leftovers. If grilling, make sure local ordinances allow it.
Bring the cooler! Partially bury it in the sand, cover it with blankets, and shade it with a beach umbrella. Bring along disposable moist towelettes for cleaning hands.
When in the Vacation Home or the Recreation Vehicle
If a vacation home or a recreational vehicle has not been used for a while, check leftover canned food from last year. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline recommends that canned foods which may have been exposed to freezing temperatures over the winter be discarded.
Also, check the refrigerator. If unplugged from last year, thoroughly clean it before using. Make sure the refrigerator, food preparation areas, and utensils in the vacation home or in the recreational vehicle are thoroughly cleaned with hot soapy water.
For more information on summertime food safety, see:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Food_Safety_While_Hiking_Camping_&_Boating/index.asp
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/High_Altitude_Cooking_and_Food_Safety/index.asp
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Handling_Food_Safely_on_the_Road/index.asp
Check Your Steps: Chill: How to Pack a Cooler to Prevent Food Poisoning
By Diane Van, Food Safety Education Staff Deputy Director, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
This summer has been a scorcher! So this week’s Check Your Steps blog focuses on a timely food safety step—Chill. You may feel like this guy, but we recommend other techniques to keep your food cold and safe – no fans necessary.
Bacteria grow rapidly between 40 °F and 140 °F, and when it’s above 90 °F outside, cold food heats to those temperatures much faster. Portable coolers can be your best friend during outdoor summer activities or grocery shopping, but pack them correctly to keep food at 40 °F or below so it doesn’t spoil or make you sick.
You’ll need a cooler:
- If your grocery store is more than a half hour away from home
- When transporting food on roadtrips
- While boating, camping, or visiting the beach
- At cookouts
Make sure you have:
- Plenty of ice or frozen gel packs
- Preferably more than one insulated cooler
- An appliance thermometer
Keep these tips in mind:
- Pack perishable foods directly from the refrigerator or freezer into the cooler. Meat and poultry may be packed while still frozen—it will stay colder longer.
- A full cooler will maintain its cold temperatures longer than one that is partially filled. If the cooler isn’t completely filled, pack the remaining space with more ice.
- Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood in a separate cooler or securely wrapped at the bottom of a cooler so their juices won’t contaminate already prepared foods or raw produce.
- Store food in watertight containers to prevent contact with melting ice water.
- Reserve one cooler just for beverages (which will be opened frequently), so that your food coolers will stay cold longer. Limit the times the food cooler is opened, and open and close the lid quickly.
- An appliance thermometer takes the guesswork out of knowing your food is safe to eat. So put one in your cooler, and make sure it reads 40 °F or below.
- When the temperature outside is above 90 °F, put perishable food back in the cooler within 1 hour after eating. Otherwise, cool it within 2 hours.
- For long trips, take along two coolers — one for the day's immediate food needs, like lunch or snacks, and the other for perishable foods to be used later in the vacation.
- At the beach, partially bury your cooler in the sand, cover it with blankets, and shade it with an umbrella for extra insulation.
FoodSafety.gov has more information on safe food storage temperatures. This concludes the Check Your Steps blog series, but you can follow #checksteps on Twitter for updates on the Food Safe Families campaign.