Food Safety tips for the 4th of July weekend

MINOT, N.D. (KXNET) — While many head to the lakes and campsites it is important to know how to stay healthy this summer.

We all want to enjoy our holiday weekend and First District Health Unit wants to make sure you are doing so safely.

While at the lake make sure to keep foods that are meant to be cold at 40 degrees or lower, and keep hot foods at a temperature of 140 degrees or above.

“Some people are going to want to use a color change or grill marks to determine that their food has been cooked correctly and we recommend that you don’t do that. We would say it would be best to use a thermometer,” said Environmental Health Practitioner Jo Gourneau.

To keep your food and drinks fresh, ice, ice, and more ice is what First District Health Unit says.

Always put a layer on the bottom and the top of your cooler.

The main concern for this weekend is foods that are left out at ambient temperatures.

“Sliced tomatoes, salads, those are some of the items that can cause foodborne illness and can cause vomiting and diarrhea if they’re left out at room temperature and we really, you know, nobody really wants that over a holiday weekend,” said Gourneau.

When cooking meat, make sure you clean all surfaces, utensils, and hands with soap and water.

Use separate plates and utensils for raw meat and cooked meat to avoid cross-contamination.

“Really pay attention to how they are handling the food because we don’t want it to come from, you know, their family or their friends or anything like that,” added Gourneau.

According to the CDC millions of Americans suffer from foodborne illness each year, resulting in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.

If you make sure to keep your food at the right temperature and wash your hands, you’ll be sure to enjoy your 4th of July weekend.

The First District Health Unit recommends reaching out to your physician if you feel that you have become sick due to the food you have consumed.