Grandparent Opporutnities (8/96)
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THE GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY -- "GRANDPARENTING"
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"Golden Opportunities for Grandparents" is an extension newsletter prepared by
Pennsylvania Family Living agents: Jane Beightol, Mifflin Co., (717)
248-9618; Andrea Bressler, Clearfield Co., (814) 765-7878; Nancy Covert,
Jefferson Co., (814) 849-7361; Debra Gregory, Huntingdon Co., (814) 643-1660;
Sandra Hall, Clinton Co., (717) 893-4050; and Jane Mecum, Perry Co., (717)
582-2131. This electronic version is for use by other agents or directly by
community members. (*Professionals: Please acknowledge the source of these
materials if you re-use them.)
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Volume 7, Number 4, 1996
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* IN THIS ISSUE *
* Picnic Food Safety *
* Peanut Butter Favorites *
* Time and Temperature Abuse *
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Dear Grandparents:
Make your next picnic or barbecue with your grandchildren a safe event by
following the food safety tips in this newsletter.
Preparing for that picnic or barbecue can also be a time to share some fun and
memories:
- Tell your grandchildren about special summer events when you were
growing up.
- Allow and encourage children to help in food preparation. THis
might be a good time to teach food handling safety and kitchen
safety.
- Look for special recipes that would be easy for younger children
to help prepare.
- Start a family tradition that involves all generations. For
example - make homemade ice cream sundaes followed by a walk
around the block or in a park.
- Marshmallow toasting over a campfire can be a great way to end an
evening.
Food always seems to taste better or different when served outdoors. We hope
you and your family have many memorable times this summer and make them good
times by using appropriate food safety practices.
If you have other food safety questions or concerns, contact your county
Extension Family Living Agent or call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at
1-800-535-4555.
The final word in safe food handling is "when in doubt - throw it out!" It is
always better to be safe than sorry.
Sincerely,
Debra A. Gregory
Extension Agent - Family Living
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HERE COME THE GRANDKIDS
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PICNIC SAFETY
The vast majority of food poisoning outbreaks occur during the hot summer
months. Many of these episodes can be traced back to unsafe picnic and
barbecue practices. A lot of favorite picnic and barbecue foods are
potentially hazardous if not handled correctly.
High-moisture and nutrient-dense foods such as meats and mayonnaise-based
salads can support a lot of bacteria. Chill the foods before you leave and
keep them cold until you eat them. Pack the salad in a few small containers
instead of one big serving bowl. Smaller units chill faster and can be used
as needed.
After preparing the food, get it on ice as soon as possible. A cooler full of
ice keeps food colder longer than an ice pack in an insulated bag. Because
hot air rises, put the food below the ice or sandwich it between two layers.
Cubed or chipped ice is more effective than one big chunk of ice.
Contrary to popular belief, mayonnaise itself will not support bacterial
growth due to its low pH. But the minute you mix mayonnaise with other
ingredients, it raises the pH and moisture level and can create problems.
If you plan to barbecue, handle raw meat carefully to avoid
cross-contamination of foods. Keep it in a sealed container at the bottom of
the cooler so the juices don't bleed on other foods. Plates andutensils that
come into contact with raw meat should not be used for serving cooked meat or
other foods. Cook the meat thoroughly and cut it to make sure juices run
clear all the way through. Hamburgers and steaks should be cooked until
they're no longer pink in the middle.
It's smart to barbecue first, then pull the rest of the food out just before
you're ready to serve the meat. Potentially hazardous foods must be kept out
of the danger zone in which bacterial growth occurs -- 40 to 140F. Once these
foods have been cooked or taken off ice, they should be consumed in less than
two hours.
Good foods to bring on picnics include chips, breads, peanut butter, fresh
fruits and vegetables, and hard cheeses. These foods don't support rapid
bacterial growth.
When you get home, discard the food and clean out the cooler with water,
letting it air dry. There's too much potential for bacterial growth with
leftovers. You can save the foods that don't present a safety hazard, such as
fresh fruits and chips, but throw away the cooked foods. (source: Dr. Steve
Knabel, PSU)
Prepared By: Jane Beightol
Extension Agent, Juniata & Mifflin Counties
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CHILDREN'S PAGE
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KEEP PICNIC FOODS SAFE
Picnics are always fun. It doesn't matter whether you go to a city park or
your own back yard. But with the long lazy days of summer it becomes more
difficult to keep our food safe from a foodborne illness.
KEEP IT CLEAN
Encourage your grandchild to help with packing the picnic lunch. Make sure
your work area is clean, and the child has washed his or her hands. Children
are usually in a hurry when they wash their hands. Teach them to wash their
hand as long as it takes to sing the Alphabet song, (this is about 20
seconds.) This provides a measure of time for the child and is also fun.
Explain to them how the germs from their hands can get on the foods, and may
make them sick.
It may be a challenge to keep children clean at a campsite or picnic ground.
Do as much of the food preparation as you can at home and take along an ample
supply of disposable wash cloths, sanitary wipes, and paper towels.
PICNIC CHOICES
Take foods that do not need to be kept hot or cold, such as:
peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
hard cheeses
cookies or crackers
fresh unpeeled fruit
unopened cans of fruit or pudding
commercially dried fruit.
individual packets of mustard and mayonnaise
KEEP COLD FOODS COLD
If you do decide to take along foods that need to be kept cold, remember the
following rules:
Freeze sandwiches the day before.
Freeze containers of juice or water to put into your cooler.
Use a well insulated cooler, and place in a shady area.
Take only the amount of food that you are going to eat, so you do not have
leftovers.
PEANUT BUTTER FAVORITES
Add interest to the old favorite peanut butter sandwich by adding apples,
bananas or finely chopped celery These work well for a picnic because they do
not have to be kept cold. However, these sandwiches will freeze well. Store
up to one month in the freezer.
Peanut Butter Blitz
3/4 c. peanut butter
1/3 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c. raisins
dash cinnamon
8 slices whole grain bread
In a bowl stir together peanut butter, applesauce, raisins, and cinnamon.
Spread peanut butter mixture on four slices of bread, and top with remaining
slices.
Prepared by: Doris Sargent
Lycoming County
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GRAND IDEAS
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KEEPING FOOD SAFE DURING THE SUMMER
The days grow longer and warmer, the sun shines high in the sky, and thoughts
of picnics and day trips fill the mind. Let's get the grandkids, grab some
food and toss it in a picnic basket, and drive a couple of hours to a park or
beach! Sound like a great idea? Maybe, but you could be taking chances with
the health of yourself and the kids if you're too casual about the food.
Sad to say, summer also brings increased risk of foodborne illnesses
(sometimes called food poisoning); especially dangerous to young children and
to senior citizens. The young and the old have weaker immune systems than do
young and middle-age adults. A bout of diarrhea and vomiting can be very
dangerous to small child or to a senior with a chronic health problem.
Frequently, food borne illness is the result of something food scientists
call "Time and temperature abuse."
HOW CAN YOU ABUSE TIME OR TEMPERATURE?
Time abuse can be simply leaving food at room temperature long enough for
bacteria (creatures you can't see without a microscope) to grow and prosper.
Temperature abuse results from under-refrigerating food. A cooler full of
ice and chilled food carried in a car trunk can heat up and become dangerous
within a few hours. Allowing food to remain in the temperature danger zone of
40 to 140 for four hours or more provides conditions favorable for growth
where bacteria can expand in sufficient number to cause illness.
If your cooler can't hold food below 40 degrees and you know it will be more
than 4 hours until the food is eaten, you'd better rethink some parts of a
picnic lunch. A better choice might be to purchase especially perishable
foods at the designated site rather than to chance driving long hours with a
rapidly warming cargo of food.
WHAT FOODS ARE MOST PERISHABLE?
- Raw meats, poultry, and fish
- Cream or milk-based dishes
- Products containing un-cooked eggs
Hints: use plenty of ice and keep a refrigerator thermometer in your cooler to
monitor your cooler's temperature. Check it often.
Have a safe summer!
Nancy L. Yergin, MS, RD
Forest County
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Dr. Dan Lago, Ph.D., Penn State Extension Aging Specialist
Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences
323 Ag Administration Building, University Park, PA 16802
(814) 863-7871
Internet Address: djl@psu.edu