Marion County Public Health wants to remind those traveling for spring break of food safety tips. 

Many families across the area have embarked on spring break journeys this week and it is important to remember the importance of food safety and general sanitation when traveling. When it comes to food, hot food should always stay hot and cold food should always be kept cold. For those traveling to warm climates, it is important to remember that perishable food that has set out for more than one hour is not safe to consume. Fresh fruit and vegetables should always be washed or peeled, and when traveling internationally it is crucial to be extra cautious when it comes to food sanitation and drinking water safety. Marion County Public Health Nurse Judi Van Hulzen says you should always be washing hands with soap and water.

“If you don’t have soap and water, use that hand sanitizer, and make sure it is at least 60% alcohol based. Be aware that hand sanitizer will not protect you against those diarrheal types of illnesses like e coli, salmonella, norovirus, so you still need to wash your hands with soap and water later on.”

It is also important to sanitize any area that you are going to eat at.