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Barbecue Food Safety
Warm weather is the ideal time for cooking outdoors. Warm temperatures
are also ideal for bacteria and other pathogens to multiply and
cause foodborne illness. Use these guidelines for grilling safety.
· Go from the store to home. When shopping, put meat and
poultry in the cart last. Put the meat in plastic bags to avoid
cross contamination caused when meat or poultry juices drip on
other foods.
At home, place meat and poultry in the refrigerator immediately.
Freeze ground meat or poultry that won't be used in 1 or 2 days,
freeze other meat within 4 to 5 days.
· Defrost safely. Put meat or poultry in the refrigerator
for slow safe thawing. Use the microwave only if the food will
be put immediately on the grill.
· Marinate correctly. Always marinate in the refrigerator,
not on the counter. Reserve the marinade if it is to be used as
a sauce for the cooked food. Never re-use the marinade used on
raw meat or poultry.
· Pre-cooking. If you prefer to pre-cook food partially
before grilling, do it immediately before to destroy bacteria.
· Keep cold food cold.
· Keep everything clean. Do not use the same platter and
utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry, any bacteria in
the raw meat or juices can contaminate the safely cooked meat.
Have clean, soapy sponges for cleaning surfaces and hands.