Food Safety: Barbecues and Outdoor Picnics

Simple precautions to help prevent food poisoning:

• Wash hands
• Avoid cross-contamination of foods
• Cook meats thoroughly
• Keep cold foods cold
• Refrigerate leftovers immediately

What causes food poisoning?

Unwashed hands, undercooked meats, cross-contamination from raw meats to other foods and eating unwashed fruits and vegetables can spread E. coli, salmonella and a host of other foodborne diseases. There are about 1.5 million cases of foodborne illnesses per year in our state, including 6,500 hospitalizations and 100 deaths.

What many people call "stomach flu" or "intestinal virus" is often food poisoning, resulting in symptoms from mild nausea to a serious condition requiring medical treatment and hospitalization. Especially at risk are young children, the elderly, and people who have diseases that involve the immune system, such as asthma, arthritis, cancer, HIV, diabetes, liver and kidney diseases.

How can I prevent these illnesses?

Wash Hands Frequently

• Wash hands with soap and water before and after handling raw meats.
• Where running water is unavailable, set up a make-shift hand wash station using hand soap and a container with a spigot, filled with warm water.
• As a last resort, waterless hand sanitizers or disposable hand wipes can be used.
• Everyone should wash hands before eating to prevent passing germs to food.

  Keep cold foods cold - below 40 degrees Fahrenheit
  Keep hot foods hot - above 140 degrees Fahrenheit

Cook Meats Thoroughly

The safest way to ensure meats are cooked well enough is to use a food thermometer.

• Ground beef patties or hamburger: insert thermometer in center of patty - 160 degrees Fahrenheit
• Chicken: 165 degrees Fahrenheit  - you may prefer a higher temperature for traditional taste and texture
• Hot dogs: 165 degrees Fahrenheit
• Beef, veal and lamb cuts: 145 degrees Fahrenheit

Consider serving chicken that has been precooked and chilled, or cooking chicken pieces in advance by boiling or microwaving in your kitchen before barbecuing. Take-out chicken is also a potential hazard if not kept hot or completely chilled before serving.

Preparing Salads

While mayonnaise has been implicated as a cause of food poisoning, the real culprits in salads are the other ingredients (potatoes, eggs, pasta, tuna, etc.) that are often combined with mayonnaise before being thoroughly chilled and then left at room temperature for several hours. Bacteria can be introduced and multiply while ingredients are warm. Thoroughly chill salad ingredients, including mayonnaise, before combining. Even canned tuna needs to be pre-chilled, unless you will be eating it immediately after opening the can.
Transport on ice: Potato, macaroni and other salads that contain milk, meat or eggs must be keep cold.
Nest salads in ice: Outdoors, consider nesting the salad bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice.

Wash Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

• Nearly all types of fruits and vegetables have been implicated in foodborne illnesses.
• All fruits and vegetables should be washed with running water before cooking and/or serving.
• Use a vegetable brush and running water (no soap) to clean the outside of melons. Bacteria and other pathogens can be transferred to the inside of the fruit or vegetable by cutting through it.
• Cut melons, fruits and vegetables should be kept cold. When served outdoors, consider placing the serving dish on ice or immediately store in an ice chest after serving.

Storing Leftovers

• Store leftovers in an ice chest right away.  Food left out for more than two hours should be discarded.

• Baked goods, chips and unopened drinks are safe to serve later without refrigeration.

Cooking and Clean-Up

• Clean utensils and cutting surfaces to avoid contamination from raw meat to other foods.
• Use a different utensil and dish for cooking than what is used for serving. For example, do not return cooked meat to a dish that held raw meat.
• Wash utensils and surfaces with hot soapy water, then rinse.

For More Information:

Links to external resources are provided as a public service and do not imply endorsement by the Washington State Department of Health.

Food Safety Program: 360-236-3385
Consumer Assistance Line: 1-800-525-0127

For other tips on outdoor food preparation:
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):
Food Safety While Hiking, Camping, and Boating
FOOD SAFETY FACTS Barbecue Food Safety

For information about foodborne illnesses and safe food handling:
Seattle & King County Public Health
United States Food and Drug Administration

Documents posted in .pdf version on the Department of Health Web site will be made available in an alternative format on request to users who are unable to download or view .pdf files on the Web. To request an alternative format, contact: Webmaster.