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THE TRUTH ABOUT PICNIC FOOD MYTHS by Debbie Stolpa When a fine summer afternoon makes everyone "think picnic," you could find yourself organizing one. Read through these common "picnic food myths" before you pack your picnic —you may be surprised at what you can and cannot safely take along. Myth 1. There are some foods you just can't take on a picnic. If the time between leaving home and serving the picnic is under two hours, and you plan on proper cold or hot storage for the trip, you can take most any food on a picnic. Perishable foods like meat and poultry need more care, of course, and highly perishable foods like cream pies or custards may be very difficult to transport safely. But with a good insulated cooler, and lots of ice or frozen gel packs, your picnic can safely include foods such as potato salad, deviled eggs or cream cheese dip. Myth 2. Any food containing mayonnaise is more likely to cause illness. While all mayonnaise -based salads should be kept on ice, the mayonnaise that you buy at the store is not a food safety villain. It's been pasteurized, and, actually, its high acid content slows bacterial growth. But home -made mayonnaise, which uses raw eggs, is never safe, not even for at -home use. Myth 3. You don't need to wont' about taking carry-out food like fried chicken to a picnic since it's already been cooked. Cooked food also required special care, especially if the food is warm. Bacteria that can cause illness can be introduced to food just by handling. This bacteria can grow rapidly in warm temperatures. If the chicken will be served and eaten within two hours, it's okay to pick it up on the way to the outing. But, if serving will not be for several hours, it's better to purchase the chicken well in advance of the picnic, and chill it thoroughly. Then pack it in the cooler and eat it cold. Myth 4. Partially cooking meat or poultry in advance is a great way to save grilling time at the cook -out. It's not a good idea to partially cook food and then finish the cooking at a later time. Bacteria that may be present in raw foods need thorough cooking - -ail at once - -to be destroyed. Partially cooking meat may encourage bacterial growth by keeping foods in the danger zone (40 degrees - 140 degrees F) where bacteria multiply the fastest. When foodbome bacteria have nutrients, moisture, and warmth, they can double in number every 20 minutes. These levels of bacteria may be difficult to destroy with further cooking and may cause food poisoning. When food is fully cooked, however, and if it's been cooled quickly, reheating it on the grill at the picnic site is a safe option. Also, if you are barbecuing at home in the backyard, precooking or parboiling is a way to save grilling time. Just be sure to precook the meat immediately before taking the food to the grill. Myth S. As long as leftover food is still partly cold, it's fine to pack it up and take it home. Use your cooler, and your common sense, as guides to the safety of leftover picnic food. Ice remaining in the cooler is a good sign that the food may be safe. If the picnic lasted only four to five hours, and if the food was not out of the cooler very long during serving and after the picnic, the chances are good that the leftover food will be safe. A general guideline is: if perishable food was left out over two hours at the picnic (or over 1 hour when it's 85 degrees and above), the food is not safe and should be thrown away. Also, if you have any doubts, don't take a chance, Discard the food. A better plan is to pack only what you will use on the outing. For information on this and other food safety topics, contact the Anoka County Extension Service at 755- 1280. Note; Debbie Stolpa Is a home economist with the Anoka County Extension Service.