WAUSAU, Wis. (WAOW)-- As you prepare for summer picnics and cookouts, there are important steps you should follow to make sure your cookout doesn't end in a trip to the doctor.
It all boils down to a four step process: clean, separate, cook, and chill. First you must keep the food fresh on the way home from the store, setting the pace for the rest of the meal.
"Use that as the last stop before you go home so the food isn't sitting in a hot car under sunlight. Meats can get warmed up and bacteria start growing quickly in a hot car," said Dale Grosskurth, the Environmental Health and Safety Director for the Marathon County Health Department.
When you get home and are ready to cook, make sure surfaces and utensils are clean.
"Washing your fruits and vegetables but also avoiding washing your meat before you cook it because that washing process can spread bacteria elsewhere in your workspace," said Charles Clark, DHS Food Safety Expert.
Next, make sure you aren't using utensils interchangeably with veggies and meats. After everything is clean and in it's place it's time to cook.
"Cooking the meat to the right temperature and that would be 165 for chicken and 145 for fresh beef keeping your food hot once you do cook," Clark said.
Cooking food long and hot enough and keeping it warm is an important reminder when setting out food for guests.
"Bacteria grow best on food between 40 degrees and 140 degrees and foods can become contaminated just by people serving themselves so it's just a good idea to make sure there's plenty of ice available, don't leave things out for over two hours," Grosskurth said.
Ultimately experts said the best way to have a safe and enjoyable meal is to prepare.
"Plan so there aren't a lot of leftovers so that in the two hours you have eaten everything," Grosskurth said.
If you do start feeling ill after a cookout or picnic, it could be food poisoning. Symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever.
Health officials said the poisoning usually makes its way out of your system without medical help, but it doesn't hurt to go to the doctor to be checked out, especially if you are immunocompromised.Â
