These simple food safety tips can keep you and your loved ones safe during picnics.

The glorious warm weather has arrived and it is accompanied by picnic season. Who doesn’t crave delicious hamburgers and hot dogs with a side of potato salad and mixed fruit?! Food surrounds our wonderful picnic memories so we must treat our food carefully to continue to enjoy these moments. Unfortunately, picnics are a common culprit in creating harmful foodborne bacteria. Use the following tips to keep the food at your next picnic safe!

1. Keep all hot foods hot and all cold foods cold. Plan ahead to bring temperature controlling equipment, like freezer packs in a cooler.

2. Do not let the food sit out for more than 2 hours. Also, if the temperature outside is 90 degrees Fahrenheit or more, food should not sit out for more than 1 hour.

3. Bring separate coolers for beverages and food. Typically, the beverage cooler is opened more often and will not maintain proper temperatures.

4. Set a limit on the number of times that a cooler is opened to reduce temperature fluctation.

5. Make sure that everyone cleans their hands before eating!