Food Safety Tips for Summer from Toronto Public Health

 As residents enjoy the summer season with outdoor barbecues and picnics, Toronto Public Health is reminding residents to keep food safety in mind when preparing meals. Following a few basic rules can go a long way in preventing food-borne illnesses and making sure your summer meals are safe and healthy. Simply remember these four easy steps: clean, separate, cook and chill."It's important that residents take the appropriate steps to ensure food safety is top of mind when preparing and transporting food outside during summer months," said Dr. David McKeown, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health. "Knowing how to safely handle, prepare and store poultry, meat and produce like fresh fruits and vegetables, will go a long way in preventing you from getting sick so that you can enjoy a safe and healthy summer."Toronto Public Health has several fact sheets on its website that provide information on food safety: http://bit.ly/1sZf3tU.They include tips on:

• how to properly wash your hands, utensils, food contact surfaces and foods ● how to avoid cross contamination of food ● how to cook poultry and ground meats, and ● how to store food when travelling or on a picnic.