THE ASSOCIATION FOR DRESSINGS AND SAUCES WELCOMES A SEASON OF SAFE AND SUCCESSFUL PICNICS

(May 2006) ATLANTA, GA – “When summer is in full swing, favorite outdoor activities such as picnicking with family and friends take center stage on the season’s agenda,” says The Association for Dressings and Sauces (ADS).  The Atlanta-based trade association of salad dressing, mayonnaise and sauce manufacturers and suppliers to the industry encourages picnic lovers to practice a few food safety guidelines to ensure the most enjoyable picnic possible. 

Here are just a few tips from the United States Department of Agriculture to follow to keep your picnic food safe:

• Stay clean.  Wash your hands thoroughly before cooking, after touching raw meat, fish, or chicken; and especially after visiting the bathroom.  Most foodborne illnesses are related to improper handwashing.  If facilities are unavailable, wet hand-wipes or a hand sanitizer will reduce the germs on your hands.
  
  
• Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.  Transport cold foods in an insulated cooler with ice packs.  Wrap hot food in towels, then newspaper, and place inside a box or heavy paper bag and use within one hour.  Refrigerate leftovers within two hours when the temperature in the food serving area is below 90° F, within an hour when the temperature is above 90° F.   
  
• Avoid cross-contamination.  Never cut vegetables or other ready-to-eat foods on the same cutting board as poultry or meat without thoroughly cleaning the knife and board first.  Make sure all salad and sandwich ingredients are fresh and properly washed.

One myth that creeps in during the summer picnicking months is the falsehood that mayonnaise causes foodborne illness.  More than half a century of food safety research has proven that mayonnaise does not cause foodborne illness.  ADS has compiled the research and blames the “mayo myth” on homemade mayonnaise recipes of days gone by, which call for raw eggs.

“Many years ago, people were making their mayonnaise from scratch using raw, unpasteurized eggs,” said Pam Chumley, President of ADS and a food technologist.  According to Chumley, today’s commercially made mayonnaise and mayonnaise-type salad dressings are carefully formulated and subjected to rigorous quality control measures.  “Not only are the mayonnaise products we find on our grocery store shelves made with pasteurized eggs, they also contain vinegar and lemon juice which together create a high-acid environment that slows or even stops bacterial growth,” she noted. “It’s the low-acid ingredients (poultry, ham, potatoes) that are often mixed with mayonnaise which are most susceptible to the growth of bacteria and must be handled properly for a safe and happy picnic.”

So go ahead and embrace your summer picnicking self and enjoy the good times that a few friends and a picnic basket provide.  By following a few guidelines, your picnic will be a safe and healthy success!

The Association for Dressings and Sauces is an international trade association representing the manufacturers of salad dressings and condiment sauces and the suppliers to the industry.  Visit us on the web at www.dressings-sauces.org to learn more about mayonnaise safety as well as a copy of the brochure, “Make Mine Mayonnaise!”