Morgan Davis
grilled-vegetables
Food safety is at the top of many parents’ minds lately with the recent news of massive recalls of both eggs and romaine lettuce. With the start of summer cookout season fast approaching, people are preparing and serving large amounts of food for big events and gatherings. Since the food oftentimes sits out for extended periods of time, warm temperatures can increase the growth of harmful bacteria. Young children are especially vulnerable to food borne illnesses, which means that it’s critical that parents know how to prepare food so as to prevent food borne illnesses.
An estimated 1 in 6 Americans are stricken with food poisoning each year, with 128,000 of them being hospitalized for it. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) wants to make sure that home cooks have the right information to protect their families from food poisoning this summer. Along with the Center for Disease Control (CDC,) they lead the government’s effort to provide clear and accurate food safety information to all U.S. households. Some of the most important information that they want to share this summer is how to properly handle perishable foods during travel, and how to use a food thermometer when grilling.
Since bacteria tend to grow rapidly in warm temperatures, perishable food items, such as raw meat and poultry, need to be kept in a cooler at 40°F or below to reduce bacterial growth. Place any raw meats into waterproof containers in order to prevent any juices from the meat from cross-contaminating other items in your cooler. Another great idea is to use separate coolers to pack your beverages and perishable foods, since the beverage cooler may be opened more frequently which causes the temperature inside to constantly change and risk becoming unsafe. Perishable foods that spend longer than 2 hours above 40°F should not be eaten. In hotter temperatures, especially if the weather exceeds 90°F, food should be thrown away if it sits out for more than an hour.
Before grilling out this summer, make sure you have these items with you to help ensure a safe grilling experience for your family:
- Food thermometer
- Paper towels
- Two sets of cooking utensils (tongs, spatulas, forks, etc.). Use the first set to handle raw items and the other for cooked foods.
- Separate plates/containers for cooked items.(Never place cooked foods on the same plate or container that held raw meat or poultry.)
Using a food thermometer is a great way to make sure that any potentially harmful bacteria in your meat or poultry has been destroyed before eating. The following guidelines of safe internal temperatures can be used to ensure that your meat and poultry are done:
- Beef, pork, lamb and veal (steaks, roasts and chops): 145°F (63°C) with a three-minute rest time
- Ground meats: 160°F (71°C)
- Whole poultry, poultry breasts and ground poultry: 165°F (74°C)
More information can be found here on the FSIS website.
