In the warm -- no, let's just say it: HOT -- weather we've already been experiencing this summer, it's important we think again (or never stop thinking) about food safety for families with children.  It's important that we think about food safety for our kids' sake all the time. Whether we're on a picnic, in the boat, at the pool, or while camping, we need to take all precautions to make sure we handle food in a safe manner, so that we and our children don't become sick.  It's so easy to slip up in this way--and the experience can wreck a family vacation.

Here are some handy tips to keep food safe in hot weather:

1)         If you are traveling and taking food along, take 2 coolers, one for beverages (which may be opened and shut intermittently as people withdraw bottled water or canned or bottled drinks) and at least one more cooler for foods that must remain cold until the food it contains is prepared to be cooked or is eaten.  Make sure cooler # 2 contains ample ice packs and ice along with the food.  A thin layer of aluminum foil on top of the frozen and/or cold food in the cooler placed beneath the cooler top is an added protection to keep food colder longer--or you can wrap each food separately, first in plastic or wax paper and then in aluminum foil.

2)         If the ice melts in your food cooler or the cold food in it becomes warm for any reason or length of time, do not prepare or eat the food!  We realize food is expensive, but so are doctor bills. Throwing out food that has gone bad--although regrettable for the family's budget--is much easier and safer than combating salmonella or E.coli or another stomach-unfriendly bacteria.  Also do NOT re-freeze meat, poultry or fish that has thawed.  Never leave thawed meat at room temperature for more than 15 minutes without cooking it--including hot dogs! 

3)         Bring wrapped, "dry" snacks along on a car trip.  These are not as perishable as some fruits and vegetables.  Puffed rice crackers, healthy veggie chips, apples, oranges, and "trail mix" (if you or your child are not allergic to nuts or seeds) are an alternative to some of the more perishable snacks.  (Note: If you bring bananas along, make sure they are in a separate bag, don't put them in the cooler... if you do, everything will smell like banana.  I learned the hard way.)

4)         Make sure to wash your hands and your children's hands, especially before eating or handling food.  Washing hands often helps to retard the transmission of bacteria.

5)         There may be chemical residue on food--so make sure to wash all raw meat, poultry, fruits, or vegetables separately and thoroughly before preparing and eating them!

6)         There's no other way to say this: "Cook food to the desired temperature and then some!" Invest in a food thermometer and use it!  At http://www.FoodSafety.gov, you can

 check the safe minimum temperature at which most meats, fish, poultry, and egg dishes are truly at the optimum temperature for consumption.