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| Script: Take Food Safety
on the Road with Mobile Ask Karen |
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Intro:
Welcome to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service "Food Safety At Home" podcast series,
featuring topics for the safe handling, preparation and storage of meat, poultry and processed egg products.
So, sit back, turn up the volume and listen in.
Narrator:
Hello! I’m Shanelle with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection
Service.
Are you planning a road trip this summer or going camping,
boating or hiking? Outdoor activities are fun for everyone
during the summer, but they also require a lot of planning,
especially when it comes to food.
Many activities last all day and may involve preparing at least
one meal. Bacteria can grow to dangerous levels and cause
illness if food is left out of refrigeration for too long, so
it’s important to know how to keep your food safe while enjoying
the outdoors.
USDA has a great resource to help you be food safe this summer;
it’s mobile “Ask Karen!” You can access this great service from
any portable device that has internet access. Just visit
m.askkaren.gov. Whether on the road, in the wild, or at the
shore, mobile “Ask Karen” can answer your food safety questions
and help you to safely handle and prepare food -- wherever you
are. You can also get instant responses by chatting live with
food safety experts from Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. Eastern Time.
In the meantime, we have a few important food safety tips for
you!
Plan ahead: decide what you are going to eat and how you are
going to cook it. Then decide what equipment you will need to
take with you.
Pack safely: use a cooler if car-camping or boating. Pack frozen
foods with gel packs or another cold source if hiking or going
on a road trip.
Keep raw foods separate from other foods.
Bring disposable wipes or biodegradable soap for washing hands
and dishes.
Carry bottled water to drink. If that’s not possible, boil water
or use water purification tablets.
If you are hiking and camping, plan your menu carefully. You can
bring cold foods for the first day, but pack shelf-stable items
for the following days. Canned goods are safe, but heavy. Good
choices are peanut butter in plastic jars, concentrated juice
boxes, dried noodles and soups, beef jerky and other dried
meats, dried fruits, and nuts.
If you’re using a cooler, leftover food is safe only if the
cooler still has ice in it. If your ice has melted, discard any
leftover food. It’s a good idea to keep an appliance thermometer
inside the cooler to make sure your food stays at 40 °F or
below.
And to prevent food poisoning, don’t forget to check your steps
at FoodSafety.gov.
Have a great summer!
Outro:
Thanks for listening to this Food Safety At Home podcast. Let us know what you think of this podcast by sending your comments to
podcast@fsis.usda.gov.Thanks for tuning in.
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Last Modified: July 18, 2012 |
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