As summer is filled with outdoor celebrations and picnics, there’s a strong chance for contracting a foodborne illness, or food poisoning.

Guthrie County Public Health Director Jotham Arber urges residents to not spoil their summer plans by following some helpful food safety tips. He says bacteria is present throughout the environment, and most foods naturally provide the ingredients needed for bacteria to flourish, especially in hotter temperatures. He shares how bacteria growth can lead to different illnesses, “Some common foodborne illnesses we see during the summer, you’ve got E. coli, Salmonella – those are two big ones – Norovirus. And a lot of those are related to uncooked, raw, things – meat, vegetables, those types of things – so we really think that it’s important, during the summer especially, when we’re outdoors to make sure that we’re following the same things we would in a normal kitchen.”

There are four components of food safety to remember: washing hands and surfaces often; don’t cross contaminate food, kitchen tools and surfaces; cook food to their proper temperature; and refrigerate leftovers promptly. Arber adds when outdoor temperatures are above 90 degrees, food should not be left out for more than an hour.