COLUMBUS, Ohio —  Many like to enjoy picnics and barbecues when the sun is out, but with high temperatures it's important to be extra cautious with how food is stored. 

What You Need To Know

  • Refrigerated food should have an internal temperature of 40 degrees or below

  • If you're questioning whether a food is good or bad, it's best to just throw it out
  • Experts suggest keeping coolers and ice packs handy for picnics and barbecues 

Temperatures continue to rise as the state of Ohio enters another day in a heat advisory. Unlike when temperatures are cold, people usually gravitate to the outside when the weather is nice. This usually means things like pool days, barbecues and picnics.

However, you have to be careful that your food doesn’t reach unsafe temperatures. Bacteria can grow anywhere between 40 degrees and 140 degrees. Erin Mertz who serves as the director of Food Safety at EcoLab gives some advice on how to keep your food safe in these extreme temperatures. 

  • Keep any meat on ice or in a cooler before it goes on the grill
  • If you’re out on a picnic — keep food as shaded as possible
  • Packing and changing out ice as it starts to melt will keep food cool and safe

While we may think we can gage when food has gone bad, Mertz said that it’s best to be safe rather than sorry.  

“When in doubt, throw it out. You know, don't smell it, don't taste it, don't think, is this OK?,” said Mertz. “If you have any questions about it, especially when it's this hot. Just get rid of it and start over again.”

Extreme heat can also cause power outages. If a power outage happens here a few things you should do: 

  • After two to four hours without power or a cold source, throw out perishables, like meat, fish, dairy products and cut up vegetables
  • Use a food thermometer to check temperatures of food that was stored in coolers
  • frozen foods can be refrozen if there are still ice crystals or if the internal temperature is 40 degrees or lower

“You know, meat, dairy, leftovers is another one, that's a good one to watch out for, but just kind of understanding that food and understanding that even if it's not food safe, it may still look good and it may still smell good,” said Mertz. “You really want to know, really understand, really make sure that you're within that two to four hours, that your temperatures are correct, and if they aren't, then get rid of it.”

The best way to be prepared for a power outage is to have frozen containers of water and gel packs handy to help keep your food at or below 40 degrees. If you have to remove your food from the fridge, it’s important to have a cooler on hand that you can transfer food in to keep it cold. Experts also suggest purchasing a food thermometer to help track the temperatures of your food to determine if a food can be restored or thrown away.