(KNSI) – With summer full of outdoor get-togethers ranging from graduations to barbeques, experts offer advice to keep you and your guests from getting sick.
St. Cloud State University Biology Professor Dr. Kristin Gulrud says bacteria and other things can grow on food that’s sat out.
“The danger zone for foods is anything from refrigeration temperature, which is 40 degrees Fahrenheit, to 140 degrees.”
She says you can check grilled food with a meat thermometer and salads with a food thermometer. Gulrud says meat, dairy and eggs go bad the quickest but how long all that stuff can stay out depends on the weather.
“You’re limited by a maximum of two hours on a normal day. And the hotter it gets, the lower that time. So, if it is over 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside, food should only be out for one hour.”
Gulrud says any food in the danger zone for more than two hours should be thrown out. She says you can keep food out longer by storing chilled food on ice in a cooler or hot food in a crockpot. If you are serving fruits and vegetables, make sure to wash them under running water first.
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