Food safety on the road
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EmailTraveling safely with food.
Making arrangements to travel locally or even further takes planning and thought, particularly when we are taking food or snacks with us. There are a few things that need to be considered to keep the snacks we choose to take with us, safe.
Many types of snacks do not need special care such as refrigeration. For safe snacks take snacks such as: Pretzels, apples, bananas or other fruits that are safe within their own covering. It is also helpful to package snacks like pretzels in individual bags. That helps with portion size and keeps several different hands from reaching into the same box or bag for the same food. If you are transporting any type of food that needs refrigeration, use an insulated cooler and add ice packs to help maintain the cooler temperature.
Keeping snacks cold can easily be done by freezing ice water in the bottles you plan to take, or even fruit juice packs. As they thaw in the cooler they will help maintain the cool temperature that is needed to keep foods safe for travel. It is also helpful to chill any items that are going into the cooler and separating the items into smaller portions so they can be distributed evenly throughout the insulated bag. Michigan State University Extension says that foodborne illness does travel, so it is better to plan ahead and practice food safety on the road.
Keeping little hands out of the big bag is an easy way to maintain a redued germ count. Keeping items separated and properly proportioned helps keep the amount of food consumed to a lower level. Even though hand sanitizer isn’t the best way to lower germs on our hands, it is still the best way to attempt to maintain a healthy road trip.
