Packing Safe Picnics

On car and camping vacations, travelers often tote their own food. It’s cheaper, more convenient and it can be more healthful than eating from fast food restaurants and vending machines. But it also increases the risk of food poisoning, since keeping food at proper temperatures and contamination-free is more difficult on the road than it is at restaurants or at home.

Each year, up to 33 million illnesses and 9,000 deaths related to food poisoning occur in the United States, according to the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, a private nonprofit group based in Ames, Iowa.

Food poisoning actually is an umbrella term for ailments caused by a variety of organisms, with symptoms including abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Sometimes the condition is fleeting and resolves itself when travelers drink fluids and rest. But it also can be deadly.

Despite the dangers, a little food handling know-how can reduce the risk, food safety experts say.

Caution should begin with food purchases, said Dean O. Cliver, professor of food safety at UC Davis. It’s best to buy most foods at the store, he said, rather than from outdoor vendors. But roadside produce is probably OK, he added, as long as it is washed thoroughly. (Even with thorough washing, food safety experts concur, consumers can’t completely eliminate the risk of food-borne illnesses via fruits and vegetables, as was proven in April when students in Southern California and Michigan fell ill with hepatitis A after eating tainted strawberries in school cafeterias.)

Buy meats tightly wrapped, advised experts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture; that impedes spoilage by keeping out air and dirt. Storing food in a good cooler with a tight-fitting cover for camping or car trips also is recommended. Food that needs refrigeration is best kept at 40 degrees, or 45 at the warmest, Cliver said.

Pack a cooler with about 75% food and 25% ice or cold packs, advise nutrition experts writing in the American Dietetic Assn.’s Complete Food & Nutrition Guide. Freeze the cold packs at least 24 hours before use and chill the cooler too. Pack perishable foods that are already chilled or frozen, not room temperature. When storing uncooked meats, don’t allow juices to drip onto other foods.

Once at the campground or roadside rest stop, travelers should pay attention to their utensils to reduce food poisoning risks, Cliver said. “I encourage paper plates in those settings because if you use reusable plates, you may have raw meat [on the plates], grill it and put the cooked meat back [on the same plate].” If raw meat juice remains and is contaminated, the cooked meat will become contaminated too.

Don’t reuse paper plates, especially those that have been in contact with meat, he advised. And use paper towels only once before discarding.

Cook meats, especially beef, thoroughly to reduce the risk of food-borne illness. Ground beef should be cooked enough so there is no pink color remaining. “The pink test is not foolproof,” Cliver warned. Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees, according to the American Dietetic Assn.

Of particular concern to food safety experts in recent years has been the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli). This common bacteria exists in the intestinal tract and is often harmless; but some strains--particularly E. coli 0157:H7--are associated with severe side effects such as abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and bloody diarrhea and can be fatal.

E. coli is often associated with eating raw or undercooked ground beef or unpasteurized milk, but other vehicles of E. coli transmission are now being found, according to Michael P. Doyle, a food microbiologist and director of the Center for Food Safety and Quality Enhancement at the University of Georgia. At a recent meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists, Doyle reported that E. coli is turning up in venison, fermented sausage, lettuce, radish sprouts and waters of streams and lakes. “Don’t drink water from streams or lakes” without treating it, he advised.

Buy eggs that are refrigerated, advises the ADA’s “Complete Food & Nutrition Guide,” and keep them refrigerated. To avoid risk of salmonella poisoning, eggs prepared over campfires should be cooked until yolks and whites are firm, according to the USDA meat and poultry hotline ([800] 535-4555). If eggs are fried, both sides should be turned to the heat source or the pan should be covered to ensure uniform cooking, said USDA experts. Scrambled eggs should be cooked until they are entirely firm. Hard-cooked eggs should be kept refrigerated and eaten within a week, according to the ADA Guide.

On camping and car trips, prepare only as much food as the group is likely to eat at one sitting, Cliver advised, to reduce the chance of leftovers and spoilage.

Proper storage of food is another way to reduce risks of food poisoning. It’s best to allow very hot foods to cool down just a bit, Cliver said, so their heat doesn’t affect the temperature of nearby foods in the cooler. Going by the traditional rule--refrigerate foods within two hours of serving--is wise, Cliver said. If the outside temperature is 90 degrees or above, reduce the waiting time to one hour, he added.

Open a cooler as little as possible. Discourage small children, who often have dirty hands, from opening and closing the cooler, Cliver added.

Food poisoning can be difficult to distinguish from other ailments. After eating contaminated foods, people might feel ill as quickly as half an hour later or as long as two weeks, according to the USDA. Seek medical help if symptoms persist longer than three days, advise experts in the ADA guide, or if certain symptoms occur. If diarrhea is bloody, seek medical help, because this could be a symptom of E. coli 0157:H7. Seek medical help if diarrhea or vomiting is excessive, since dehydration could occur. If a stiff neck, severe headache and fever all appear, seek a doctor’s help; this could indicate listeriosis, a food-borne illness that can be fatal. Children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are at a higher risk of problems from food-borne illness.

The Healthy Traveler appears the second and fourth week of every month.