It is time for picnics, cookouts and lots of grilling. Before you fire up your grill or head to a picnic or cookout, make sure you check out these safety tips from the Federal Citizen Information Center:
• Handle with care. Read the Food Safety at Home publication from the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Women’s Health for tips on preparing dishes to avoid food-borne illnesses and prevent spoiling. For example, if you’re cooking with several kinds of raw food, keep meat, poultry and seafood to themselves so their juices don’t contaminate other food.
• On the go. When packing for a picnic, consider using multiple coolers—one for drinks and other items that you need to get frequently and another for food that needs to stay cold until it’s time to cook and eat. Food needs to be kept at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit to keep bacteria from growing, so don’t skimp on ice.
• Get your grill ready. Whether you use a charcoal or gas grill will determine what you need to check before firing it up. The biggest danger from gas grills is the possibility of a fire or explosion. Check connecting tubes for blockages or cracks. And if you smell gas, don’t light the grill. Charcoal grills release carbon monoxide from the burning coals. To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, never store a charcoal grill inside with freshly used coals—let the coals completely extinguish first.
• Rare, medium or well done? Make sure meats are cooked to a safe temperature—165 degrees for poultry and 160 degrees for beef—but not too well done. Some studies suggest there’s a link between grilled foods and cancer, but the USDA says that eating a moderate amount of grilled food that hasn’t been charred is fine. To avoid charring, remove fat from the meat or try pre-cooking it in the microwave before putting it on the grill.
Use these tips from the Federal Citizen Information Center to make sure all your summertime grilling is safe and delicious.
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