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Tips: Keeping your Memorial Day picnic safe

Posted at 11:40 AM, May 17, 2013
and last updated 2013-05-27 10:45:24-04

You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating: Handle food carefully in the summer because foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning, is more prevalent in warmer weather.

According to the food safety experts at the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), foodborne illnesses do increase during the summer, and the answer appears to be twofold.

First, there are the natural causes. Bacteria are present throughout the environment in soil, air, water and in the bodies of people and animals. These microorganisms grow faster in the warm summer months. Most foodborne bacteria grow fastest at temperatures from 90 to 110°F. Bacteria also need moisture to flourish, and summer weather is often hot and humid. Given the right circumstances, harmful bacteria can quickly multiply. When this happens, someone eating the food can get sick.