Sausages cooking on a kettle smoker at the American Royal. Cook them to 155 degrees (use a thermometer) to prevent dangerous bacteria.
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer — an event many will celebrate by firing up the grill.
But health officials and food safety experts want to ensure that the holiday barbecue — and the summer cookouts to follow — don’t result in foodborne illness.
The biggest areas of concern revolve around raw meats. Proper handling of meat, avoiding cross-contamination and thoroughly cooking meat are all important, said Christine Webster, an environmental health specialist at Clark County Public Health. Keeping perishable food out of the temperature “danger zone” where bacteria grows is also key, she said.
“Often what happens at barbecues is food gets left out in the sun for hours,” Webster said. “Usually, within two hours, the bacteria does start to grow.”
With those risks in mind, Webster and Sandra Brown, food safety and nutrition faculty at Washington State University Clark County Extension, offer the following tips for safe summer grilling:
• Thaw meat completely: Meat and poultry should be defrosted completely before grilling to ensure an even cook, Brown said.
Use the refrigerator for slow thawing or thaw sealed packages in cold water. Meat can also be thawed under cool, running water or in the microwave if it will be put immediately on the grill, Brown said.
When food is thawed, be sure to marinate it in the refrigerator; never on the counter at room temperature, she said. Never reuse marinade.
• Avoid cross-contamination: Raw meat can carry bacteria, such as salmonella and E. coli, that can make people ill. Ensuring raw meat juices don’t come in contact with food that won’t be cooked or with cooked food ready for consumption is important, Webster said.
Don’t use the same cutting boards, plates or utensils for raw meat as cooked meat, Webster said. Transport the raw meat to the grill with one set, then grab a clean set of utensils and serving trays for the cooked meat, she said.
Also, be sure to wash melons before cutting them, Brown said.
“When you put your knife on the skin of the melon and slice into it, you’re bringing the bacteria into the flesh of the melon,” she said.
Use cool, running water, a vegetable brush and your hands to clean the melons. Don’t use diluted bleach solutions or soap, Brown said.
• Cook meat thoroughly: Use a thermometer to ensure food is cooked thoroughly; don’t rely on the color of the meat or the juices running clear, Brown said. Meat and poultry on the grill often brown quickly on the outside but may not be thoroughly cooked, she said.
Fish, beef (steaks) and pork should be cooked to 145 degrees. Ground meats, such as burgers and sausages, should be cooked to 155 degrees. And poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees, Webster said.
In addition, Webster recommends cooking hot dogs to 165 degrees. Even though hot dogs are precooked meats, they run the risk of carrying harmful bacteria, she said. The high cooking temperature kills the bacteria.
“It’s just a food listeria likes and tends to live on,” Webster said.
• And no partially cooking meat: Sometimes people like to partially cook meat at home before taking it to a barbecue to finish cooking, Brown said. Doing so leaves the meat in the temperature danger zone where bacteria grows for an extended period, she said.
“People do that with chicken. They’ll boil it or partially cook it so they can pack it up and take it with them to finish it,” Brown said.
Instead, cook the chicken fully at home, slice it, refrigerate it and serve chilled meat, she said.
• Avoid the temperature danger zone: Perishable food should be left out no more than two hours (one hour if temperatures are above 90 degrees), Brown said. Any longer, and the food should be thrown away, she said.
Perishable food should be kept out of the temperature danger zone — 41 degrees to 135 degrees — as much as possible. Bacteria can’t grow on food kept colder than 41 degrees or hotter than 135 degrees, Webster said.
The longer food remains in the danger zone, the higher the risk of bacteria growth and illness, she said.
That means meat and poultry should be served right after coming off the grill or be kept on the grill until it’s time to eat, Webster said. In addition, cold foods, such as potato salad, should be kept on ice or in a cooler, she said.
Putting out smaller servings of cold foods, and keeping the rest in the refrigerator or a cooler, will help to keep them cold longer, Brown said.
Fruit and sliced veggies for burgers are also perishable and should be put away within two hours, Brown said.
“Once fruit is cut it becomes perishable,” she said. “Once lettuce is cut and put in a salad, it becomes perishable. So do tomatoes.”
• Wash hands: Above all else, wash your hands before and after handling food, Webster said. If possible, avoid touching any food with bare hands, she said.
“The main reason people get sick is from dirty hands touching foods,” Webster said.
Morning Briefing Newsletter
Get a rundown of the latest local and regional news every Mon-Fri morning.
