Summer will soon be here and whilst it is our favourite time for travelling and camping, it is also the time when the bugs and nasties that cause food poisoning are most prevalent. Most members reduce the risk by using portable fridge/freezers, dehydrated, canned and fresh foods and by following sensible food handling and hygiene practices. However food can very quickly become contaminated and it is the food that looks and smells fresh - not the food you toss out because it looks stale or has acquired a "funny" smell - that is most likely to cause food poisoning and ruin your holiday.

Potentially hazardous food is that which we consider to be moist and nutritious. Examples are cooked meats, sauces, seafood, egg dishes, rice and moist cereals; the sorts of foods that require refrigeration to stop them from spoiling.

Bacteria require four conditions in which to grow; food, water, temperature and time. At temperatures above 60 C bacteria begin to die and at below 4 C or frozen most bacteria become dormant.

Plan ahead. Planning ahead is the best way to ensure things will go smoothly. Think about what type of food to take, how you will keep it safe on the road, what you need to keep it safe until you use it and what will you do about leftovers.

Take safe food. What food to take? Many foods do not require refrigeration; jam, biscuits, fruit, some cheeses, cereals and dried foods for example whilst perishable foods such as cooked meat do. So plan to keep perishable foods on ice and have your butcher vacuum seal your meats, which will stay fresh for weeks without being frozen.

On the road. Family-size bags of chips and snacks save money and reduce rubbish. Dried and fresh fruit, cheese and soft biscuits are easy for little hands to manage without making a mess. Offer small snacks every hour or so to prevent boredom and before children announce they're hungry. Taking your own food with you is cheaper, quicker and safer than buying takeaway food on the run which may have been in a hot box or display shelf for an unsafe period of time.

Pack well. Packing food for your trip can be a money and time saver. Use resealable bottles of juice and water rather than cans and have a cup for each family member. If you're using a cooler and ice and not a refrigerator, after lunch repack the cooler with non-perishables to fill it up.

Keep it cold. Pack perishables directly from the refrigerator to the cooler at home. Frozen meat and poultry will thaw during the trip extending its safety and shelf-life. Cook thawed food as soon as possible and let the cooked food cool before placing it in the cooler or fridge. Keep the cooler in the shade and avoid opening the it often. If possible dig a hole and bury the cooler as the ice will keep for up to a week in this way especially if its not being frequently opened and closed.

A separate cooler for drinks only is also a good idea

Fill the cooler. A full cooler or fridge will stay colder longer than a partially filled one. If using a fridge leave room for the cold air to circulate. Securely wrap or bag foods that may leak and avoid storing cooked meats near raw meats.

Check food daily. Discard any food that warms above refrigerator temperatures. Non-perishables like fruit, vegetables and drinks should be OK.

Water. Water borne bacteria and chemicals are a frequent source of food poisoning and other illnesses. It is a good idea to take your own water with you and to treat all unknown water as suspect. There are three options to treating suspect water to minimise the risk of illness. Boiling water kills living organisms in water, but only if the water boils for several minutes. Boiling is useless for removing chemical contamination and anything in suspension such as silt.

Chemicals including condy's crystals, iodine and the active ingredients in water purification tablets (puri-tabs are available at most camp shops) will kill micro-organisms a lot more quickly than boiling does. It has also been reported that ordinary cordial will offer some protection. But again these methods will not remove chemicals and materials in suspension.

Filtration using extremely fine filters removes micro-organisms and anything else in suspension including salt, however it will not remove any chemical contamination. Filtration is expensive, requires considerable effort and filters relatively small amounts of water.

Keep hands and utensils clean. The most effective way to reduce the risk of food poisoning is to thoroughly wash dishes, utensils and hands.

Enjoy safe cooking and camping