Picnics

Everyone loves a picnic during the summer but it can sometimes be difficult to keep the food safe.

Here are some tips you can follow to keep food safe for a picnic.

Remember to wash fruit and salad vegetables thoroughly before you set off. Always try to wash your hands before eating but, if you can't, you could use antiseptic hand wipes instead.

When you're eating outdoors you should also remember to keep food covered whenever possible. This is to protect it from insects, birds and pets, which can carry bacteria.

High risk foods

When you're going on a picnic, don't take food out of the fridge until the last minute and use a cool box to keep it chilled until you're ready to eat. It's especially important to keep the following foods cool:

Food containing cream, such as trifle, cream cakes and desserts, yoghurts
Cooked meat and poultry
Sandwiches, ready-to-eat pasta, prepared salads, prepared fruit
Mayonnaise based foods.

Temperature control

Once food leaves the coolness of the fridge, it immediately becomes vulnerable to germs which could then lead to food poisoning. Keep food as cold as possible, for as long as possible. You can do this by:

Using a cool bag or box with lots of ice packs
Keeping food in the fridge until the very last minute
Storing your cool box or bag in the coolest part of the car, out of direct sunlight, usually in the boot
Set your cool box or bag out of the sun and keep it closed as much as possible.

Preparing food

Germs are spread to food through contact with dirty hands, utensils, raw foods or the ground.

Wash your hands before handling any food
Use clean utensils and container
Don't prepare foods too far in advance
Minimise the length of time you keep high risk, ready to eat foods out of the fridge
Do not handle food - use clean utensils instead
Do not leave utensils or plates on the ground.

Personal hygiene

Keeping your hands clean is one of the simplest ways to prevent the spread of germs and stop food poisoning from developing.

Wash your hands before eating, after you have used the toilet and after touching animals
Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly
Bring hand wipes or gels with you, if you are not sure local water is safe.

Handling leftovers

As most picnic leftovers have been sitting out for more than one hour and have had many people handling them, it's best to throw them out. The more time that food has been sitting at ambient temperatures, the more likely harmful bacteria has grown.

Further information

Find out more about picnic food safety