Food Safety Tips for Your BBQ
Football season means sunday get togethers, tailgates, and barbecues for many Americans. To make sure the good times keep rolling and no one gets sick from unsafe food handling, we put together this list of Food Safety Tips for your Barbecue.
Follow these simple guidelines for grilling food safely.
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Take meat and poultry straight home from the store and refrigerate. Keep perishable foods in a cooler if you are tail gaiting or your trip back home is a long distance from the grocery store.
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Marinate foods in a refrigerator. Don’t reuse marinade unless boiled.
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To avoid cross contamination, do NOT use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meats.
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Keep hot foods hot! After cooking meat on the grill keep it hot until served, at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer.
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Cook all meats thoroughly and use a thermometer to determine when meat has reached a final cooking temperature.
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Ground meat of any kind should reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit
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Whole poultry 180 degrees Fahrenheit
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Poultry breasts, 170 degrees Fahrenheit
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Beef, veal and lamb steaks roasts and chops can be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit
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All cuts of pork should reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer within 2 hours of taking the food off the grill. Slice large pieces of meat into smaller portions to enable it to cool faster.
Whether you are a novice or a professional barbecuer, it’s important to keep your food safe. To make sure the only thing “special” about your barbecue is your sauce remember:
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Use a thermometer
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Wash your hands
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Avoid cross contamination
