Remember food hygiene also on holiday

In the summer, we enjoy the season's goodies at cabins, camping trips and summer festivals. Careful handling of food is particularly important in the summer, because microbes thrive and multiply best in warm temperatures. By observing the basic rules of hygiene, we can avoid unpleasant cases of food poisoning.

Temperature errors related to food handling and preparation are the most common cause of food poisonings. Most microbes multiply at temperatures between + 6-+ 60 degrees Celsius. Microbial growth is the fastest at +20-+40 degrees Celsius, and storing food at this temperature even for a few hours turns perishable foods unfit to eat.

Ensure an unbroken cool chain

• Transport food quickly home from the shop or use a cool box
• Buy products as close as possible to the destination
• Make sure the fridge settings are sufficiently cool
• Store perishable food in cold temperatures (below +6 degrees Celsius). Fish and roe should be kept at +3 degrees Celsius or colder
• If you have no cold storage facilities, use other than perishable foods
• Products in vacuum packs and marinades must also be stored in cold temperatures
• Do not use packaged products after the last use-by date 
• Only an unopened food packages stored in cold temperatures keeps until the last use-by date

Make sure your hands are clean

Always wash your hands before preparing food. Wash your hands also during food preparation, especially after handling raw meat, poultry or fish, or when you move on to handle another raw ingredient, for example from preparing a salad to handling cooked food.

Use antiseptic wet wipes when camping, if there are no facilities for washing with water. 

• Always wash your hands before preparing food and before eating
• Don't cook for others, if you have symptoms of a gastric upset

Handle raw and cooked foods separately and using separate utensils

• Use separate dishes and utensils for raw and cooked foods.
• All dishes and utensils not to forget the barbeque tongs that have been in contact with raw meat must be washed thoroughly before using them for cooked meat or other foods. 
• Do not use marinade from raw meat on cooked meat.

Cook meat products right through

• Barbecue/heat meat products until well cooked (poultry, pork, minced meat)

Beware of using beer cans in grilling

All kinds of "inno chef" cooking methods based on the use of the most unusual utensils, such as beer cans, are presented for summer cooking. The use of metal cans and other food packages for purposes they are not designed for can involve risks. Contaminants, which have adverse effects on health, may be transmitted from the packages to the food. Due to the contaminant risk all unconventional cooking methods are best left untried.

Cool food quickly

• Serve the food immediately or cool it quickly
• Do not keep at room temperature 
• Make sure reheated food is piping hot right through

Old containers

Old containers may have accumulated in your home or summer house, and there are no guarantees that they are safe to use. It is safer to leave old odd looking ceramic tankards and worn, cracked and damaged crockery unused. As to newer containers it is also worth assessing whether they are at all suitable for food purposes. Lead might be dissolved especially from ceramic jugs and from mugs brought home as souvenirs. They are to be kept for decorative purposes only. Acid food should not be prepared in uncoated aluminium pots, as the acidic liquid dissolves aluminium from the pot which then goes into the food.