By Dan Sanchez
Chowing down on a juicy burger sounds great after a long day of hiking, but e.coli infection is common in the campground. Here’s a few tips for safe food handling of perishable meats.
1. Freeze ground beef or other perishable meats at home and pack it in a cooler ice for your camping trip. Or, if there’s a store nearby, purchase it fresh.
2. Always wash your hands with soap and water or disposable wipes before handling food.
3. Wash cooking utensils and your hands after touching raw meat.
4. Take cooked meat to the table on a clean plate, not the plate that the raw meat was brought to the grill or stove on.
5. Don’t feel pressured when everyone’s hungry. Uncooked meat on an outdoor grill can take longer to cook, especially at higher elevations. Wait until there is no pink in the middle just to be sure. If you brought a thermometer the meat should be cooked at 160-degrees F.
6. It takes very little e-coli 0157:H7 bacteria to make a person ill. If someone complains of severe stomach aches, cramps or diarrha, immediately transport them to a hospital.
For more information, you can contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hot Line 1-800-MPHotline.