7 Tips to Prevent Food Poisoning This Summer

Dining al fresco? Here are some easy ways to keep food safer to eat.

Warm weather and good food tend to go hand in hand during the summer, but there's one thing that can ruin the fun. Food poisoning. Getting sick from the food you eat can put a real damper on your day – or worse – and is more likely to occur when you’re eating food outdoors, especially when temps start to soar. Heat helps bacteria grow fast, and if you don’t take the right precautions, your picnic, barbecue or outdoor party can become memorable for all the wrong reasons.

The good news is that keeping food safe to eat is often under your control. Here are 7 easy ways to prevent food poisoning this summer:

1. Wash your hands often. This may seem obvious but it’s worth repeating. Wash your hands, especially if you're handling raw meat or jumping between dishes. A quick rinse isn’t enough. Use soap and water and wash for at least 20 seconds. If you don’t have access to water, bring hand sanitizer to keep hands clean.
2. Keep raw and cooked foods separate. Once raw meat has touched a surface, that surface needs to be thoroughly washed before it comes near anything ready to eat. Get into the habit of always using separate plates and utensils for raw and cooked foods. It’s also a good idea to keep food in separate coolers if you’re taking it on the road.
3. Rinse produce, even if it looks clean. Whether grapes, peaches, lettuce or cucumbers, rinse produce under running water before you eat or chop it. Just a good rinse under water, no soap needed, helps remove dirt and germs that might be hanging around from the store or farmer’s market.
4. Don’t let cold foods get warm. When it’s hot out, foods like deli meats, salads with mayo and even cut-up fruit can spoil quicker than you’d expect. Keep them in a cooler with plenty of ice or frozen water bottles. Once they’re out, don’t let them sit for more than two hours, or just one hour if it’s very hot out.
5. Check meat temperatures. Looking at the color of meat isn’t good enough to determine if it’s adequately cooked. A burger that’s browned on the outside might still be raw in the middle. Use a food thermometer to determine doneness. Chicken should reach 165°F, ground beef 160°F and fish around 145°F.
6. Don’t trust your nose. Food can look, smell and even taste fine while still making you sick. If you’re not sure how long something’s been sitting out, or you’re on the fence about whether it’s still safe to eat, toss it. Better to waste food than end up sick for days.
7. Keep pets away from the food. Your dog may be cute, but his paws and nose don’t belong near your picnic setup. Animals can carry germs that get into food without anyone realizing. Give pets their own treat and set up a separate space so they stay out of the mix.

Don’t let all the things that make summer dining fun, such as eating outdoors or enjoying a meal on a warm sunny day, increase your risk of getting sick. A few simple habits can help keep you, as well as your friends and family, safe while you enjoy picnics, barbecues, pool parties and more.

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^{Date Last Reviewed: May 19, 2025}

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