Food Safety While Camping

Camping Food Safety Tips for RVers

No one wants food poisoning or another avoidable illness, especially when you’re away from home! Practicing proper food safety while camping can help you avoid getting sick, reduce waste and keep your food tasting good! Here are some tips for practicing food safety while camping in an RV: 

• If possible, turn on your power ahead of time so your fridge has time to get cold. 
• Prepare your ice – freeze your ice packs or fill water bottles and freeze them. 
• Don’t open your fridge or cooler unless you’re getting something – opening it lets the cool air escape. 

• Don’t defrost anything frozen ahead of time unless you’re planning to eat it en route or on the first night.  
• Have a separate cooler for meat and drinks (meat can contaminate other food and the drinks cooler tends to get opened more frequently, allowing cold to escape).  
• Check ahead of time if the campground has potable water. If not, bring your own or make sure you’re prepared to treat it (boiling for at least one minute, purification tablets and water filters). 
• Use potable water for all cooking and washing.  
• Wash your hands before cooking!  

• Keep meat colder than 4C (40F).  
• Cook meat thoroughly (check the Health Canada guidelines) and use a meat thermometer to confirm the required internal temperature is reached. 
• Prevent cross contamination while cooking by using separate equipment and cleaning any utensil or surface used to handle meat before touching anything else with them (including your hands). 
• Wash all utensils, dishes and other cooking equipment between uses. Don’t forget the biodegradable soap! 
• Dispose of garbage promptly and properly, in the provided bear-proof garbage cans or pack it out (store anything with food securely).  

• Store all food (including coolers) in a hard-sided vehicle such as your RV or two vehicles. If this isn’t an option, it should be stored in secure bear-proof cannisters or provided food lockers. Animals can open coolers and tear through soft-sided RVs to get to food!  
• Bring non-perishable foods. 

Hopefully these tips will help keep your food safe while you’re camping!