Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Perth District Health Unit
Going Camping? Food and Drinking Water Safety Tips for When You Are in the Outdoors
Eating outdoors is one of the pleasures of summer. If you are camping or hiking, it can also be a food safety challenge because you don’t have a proper kitchen.
Protect your friends and families from foodborne illness by following these food and drinking water safety tips:
Chill
- Use a cooler to keep cold food cold at or below 4°C (40°F)
- Cooler safety tips:
- Use ice packs or frozen bottles of water to cool food rather than ice cubes; if you use loose ice, store everything in sealed containers to prevent cross-contamination
- If possible, refrigerate or freeze food the day before you pack it so it’s cold going into your cooler
- Separate raw food from cooked food; place raw meat and poultry in sealed containers at the bottom of the cooler or in a separate cooler.
Clean
- Clean utensils, plates and trays after each use. Don’t forget to wash and sanitize inside the cooler before and after each use
- Bring soap and wash your hands with clean, safe water for at least 20 seconds before and after cooking.
Separate
- Keep raw and ready-to-eat foods separate
- Consider a separate cooler for raw meat
- Store raw meat in sealed containers so that meat juices can’t contaminate other food
- Always use a different plate for raw and cooked meat.
Cook
- Use a food probe thermometer for cooking and reheating to ensure that harmful bacteria that might be present is destroyed: sausages/hamburger are done at 71°C (160°F); chicken/hot dogs are done at 74°C (165°F)
- Bring precooked frozen or chilled meat and reheat on site to safe temperatures (see above).
Drinking water safety
- Even when lakes and rivers look clean, the water may be dangerous to drink
- Drink tap water from a clean, safe source or bottled water
- Use only safe drinking water for washing food, washing dishes, and brushing teeth
- If required, you can purify water by bringing it to a rolling boil and continue boiling it for at least one minute. You can also use water purification tablets and/or water filters (be sure to follow package directions)
- Like your well water at home, your cottage well water needs to be tested routinely. Testing kits can be obtained via the local Health Unit.
For more information:
Media Contact:
Rebecca Hill
Communications Manager
519-271-7600 ext 279
rhill@pdhu.on.ca
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