5 Signs Your Picnic Food Isn't Safe to Eat, According to Experts

About 48 million Americans get sick every year from diseases that come from food. Some of these situations get worse:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that 128,000 of these people are hospitalized and 3,000 die every year from foodborne illnesses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that 128,000 of these people are hospitalized and 3,000 die every year from foodborne illnesses.

The food has a questionable odor.

If any of the food at your lunch smells bad or strange, that should be your first clue that it may have gone bad.

You notice mold or discoloration.

Your lunch is also not safe to eat if there is mold or discoloration on the food.Mold can make toxins that are bad for you if you eat them, and coloring is often a sign that bacteria are growing.

There's a change in your food's flavor.

Another sure sign that your picnic food isn't safe to eat is that it tastes strange when you take your first bite. "If the food tastes or feels wrong, like if it is too sour, bitter, or crunchy, that could mean it has gone bad.

You notice a change in texture.

If you notice a change in your picnic food's texture, that's another sign that it's destined for the trash bin.

The food was improperly stored.

Because you can't always tell if food has gone bad by how it tastes, feels, or smells, it's important to look at your picnic's food safety facts from an unbiased point of view.