WFMW: Packing a cooler

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Recently I was on a conference call with the NSF (National Safety Federation) about Summer Safety tips.  There were a ton of great tips to keep in mind (grilling safety, pool safety, etc.) but one of the handiest ones for me was really very easy and maybe the whole world knows this, but I sure didn’t:

When you pack your cooler of food for the beach/picnic/bbq, put the food in the bottom of the cooler with ice packs on the top.  This is because the cool air from the ice will circulate down, while warm air will rise and hit the ice packs.  I used to just be very haphazard with the ice packs, so this was good for me to know. Fill any empty spaces with extra ice or ice packs, and if you are transporting meats, place them in a separate cooler.  Also, the NSF recommends that if you can also pack your drinks in a different cooler than the prepared foods, you should do so, since the constant opening and closing of the cooler to grab a can of soda will just let all the cold air escape.

One more cooler safety tip?  Carry your cooler in a passenger area of the car. The air conditioning will keep it cooler, whereas it will be super hot in the trunk of a car.

Why is all this temperature stuff important?  E Coli and other food borne illnesses spread rapidly when food isn’t kept at the proper temperatures.  Make sure your cold foods are staying cold or harmful bacteria could be spreading!

Good to know, right?  For more safety tips check out the NSF website here.  And for more tip awesomeness, check out Works For Me Wednesday here.

Disclosure:  As a thank you for participating in the webinar briefing, I was sent a gift package.  I was not obligated to write this post, all opinions are mine.