Health & Wellness

Safe Grilling & Food Handling

With the weather starting to heat up and the family spending more time outside – its time to dust off the ol’ grill and start cooking! So what better time than now to review a few food safety tips to keep the whole family going strong all summer long.

Handle Food Safely

• Wash your hands before and after handling food.
• Always serve food on clean plates. Raw meat and poultry can contain harmful bacteria in their juices and can contaminate safely cooked food.
• To prevent food borne illnesses, don’t use the same platter and/or utensils for raw and cooked meat or poultry.

Hot Foods vs Cold Foods

• Meat and poultry need to be refrigerated until ready to use.
• Keep cooked meats hot by setting them to the side of the grill, by placing them in a warm oven or on a warming tray. You want to keep the meat’s temperature at 140°F or warmer until you serve.
• Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers.

Precooking

Precook foods on the stove to reduce grilling time. Make sure precooked foods are placed on a preheated grill immediately in order to complete cooking.

Cook Thoroughly

Fresh and frozen raw meat, poultry and fish should be cooked hot enough to kill the bacteria, parasites and viruses that may be in them. Always use a meat thermometer to check temperatures and doneness.

For more information on food and grilling safety, visit www.hhs.gov