As Bermudians begin preparing picnics and storing food for the Cup Match holiday a food safety message has been sent out by the Department of Health to remind people of good practice when dealing with food in hot conditions.

?Food safety is important all year around in Bermuda because it?s hot, but particularly so when people are out in the sun, picnicking or taking food out on a boat or to a barbecue,? said Senior Environmental Health Officer Roger Mello.

Low risks foods such as fruit and salads are normally not a problem, providing they are prepared and packed with clean hands. The problems arise with ?high risk? foods such as meats and fish.

All uncooked meats should be kept below 38F until they are cooked, and when they should be cooked thoroughly to ensure there are no ?raw spots.?

If you are taking food out for a picnic in a thermos cool box, ensure the box is kept in the shade, perhaps under a sun umbrella.

Mr. Mello said raw meats and cooked meats should be kept separate and people should buy thinner hamburgers as they are easier to ensure they are cooked all the way through compared to thicker burgers.

Condiments such as mayonnaise and ketchup should not be allowed to sit out in the sun, and preferably should be slightly chilled with ice.

And when preparing foods clean hands are paramount. Hands should be regularly washed with soap and liquid sanitising gels.

As a rule of thumb hands should be washed for 20 seconds to ensure they are clean before handling food.

The danger zone for ?high risk? foods to sit in is between 40F and 140F.

The Emergency Plan booklet, distributed to households this year by the Government giving hurricane advice, also includes useful tables and general information about the safe temperatures for keeping different types of food should there be power outages.

In a power outage a fully stocked freezer should be able to keep food safely chilled for two days, for a half-filled freezer it will be good for one day.

In all circumstances the fridge and refrigerator doors should be kept closed as much as possible to preserve the chilled air inside.

There are also wise choices to be made at the supermarket. Mr. Mello said high risk foods such as raw meats should be picked up last before going to the check-out.

It can also be worthwhile taking a cooler box to the grocery store to place frozen and chilled goods into, because these can quickly be thawed out in hot weather while travelling home.

This is even more critical if ? as often happens in Bermuda ? you stop to chat to a friend at the store or in the parking lot.

If you return home and find some meat is beginning to defrost but is still mostly frozen it can go into the freezer.

?But if it has been out for a while you may want to cook it there and then,? said Mr. Mello.

He also recommends people buy a thermometer for their refrigerator and ensure the temperature is around 38F to 40F. He adds: ?If it is running in the 50s it is not cold enough.?

Further advice on food storage and preparation can be obtained from the Department of Health?s environmental health department.