TIPS FOR OUTDOOR FOOD SAFETY

Courtesy of: 
North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Service

To make your picnics and other outdoor food functions safer, follow these simple rules:

Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. At temperatures of 50 to 125 F, most bacteria can grow
and some produce poisons that may cause illness.  In preparing chicken, egg, or meat salad, refrigerate it as soon as possible. Try to prepare it as close to picnic time as you can. Then, keep these foods cold right up until the time you serve them. For foods that are to be served cold, such as meat or poultry salads, make sure you prepare them with cold ingredients. For example, the cooked chicken for chicken salad should be allowed to cool before it's added to the salad. 
Thermos bottles can keep stews or drinks at the right temperature for hours. If foods are poured
boiling hot into sterilized bottles, there shouldn't be any problem. Coolers, insulated containers and styrofoam chests are perfect for keeping food cold when teamed with ice cubes, dry ice or reusable gel cold packs. Small, airtight containers and aluminum foil will keep foods fresh inside the larger containers. For packing the food to take outdoors, put foods in the cooler in the order opposite to using them. This means that the food you'll need last will be packed first, at the bottom. Take out the food only as you need it. Repack the container carefully and keep it in a shady spot to keep the chest cool.

Try to have plenty of ice on hand and in the cooler to keep your food cold and safe all day.