Published: June 25, 2008 03:15 pm            

Food safety essential for summer grilling

Firing up the charcoal or gas grill is one way many Oklahomans celebrate the rite of passage into summer.

When the daylight lingers longer and the weather is warm, there is no better way to kick off the summer season than to toss a few burgers, steaks or chicken on the grill.

One thing consumers must keep in mind is that the same food safety measures that are taken in the kitchen must be followed when cooking outdoors on the grill as well, said Barbara Brown, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service food specialist.

“Safe food handling skills are key to making any cookout a success. The last thing you want to do is make your friends ill because you didn’t follow food safety guidelines,” Brown said.

The first thing to keep in mind is to make sure you start with a clean surface and clean hands. Make sure the guests at the cookout also have clean hands if they are helping with food preparations. Brown suggests washing hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling all food.

Just as it is important to have clean hands, a clean work surface is essential. Be sure to clean surfaces that come into contact with raw and cooked foods before starting another food preparation project.

Always prepare raw meat and poultry separate from vegetables and other foods that will receive no further cooking.

“It’s a good idea to use different cutting boards for cutting meats and produce,” she said. “Juices from raw meats can contain harmful bacteria that could cross-contaminate raw vegetables or fruits and foods that have already been cooked.”

Aside from the grill itself, one of the most important tools a barbecue chef can have is a food thermometer. Color is not always a good indicator of meat doneness, so it is important to check the temperature of all meats cooked on the grill.

“Grilled meat and poultry often brown rather quickly and may appear done on the outside,” Brown said. “However, the internal temperature may not have reached a safe level to kill any harmful bacteria.”

Steaks, roasts, fish and chops should reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. All poultry products should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Fully cooked meats such as hot dogs should be grilled to 165 degrees or until steamy hot in the middle.

Another safety tip is to place cooked meats on a clean platter, not the platter that held them when they were raw. The juices that were left on the plate pose a danger of cross-contamination with the cooked meats.

If you are using a smoker to prepare meats, the smoker should maintain a temperature between 225 and 300 degrees. Be sure to use a meat thermometer on smoked meats to assure they have reached a safe temperature.

“It isn’t just the grilled food that requires safety precautions. Foods that are served with grilled meats also need to be handled safely,” she said. “It’s important to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. It can be easy to set out various side dishes for a backyard barbecue and not think about proper food temperature. Often foods sit out longer than they should.”

Perishable foods should never sit out for more than a couple of hours. If the temperature is above 90 degrees, which is common for a summer picnic, perishable foods should not sit out for more than an hour. Promptly refrigerate or freeze leftovers and discard any food that has been out too long.

The USDA is now offering a new service called “Ask Karen,” which is available 24 hours per day. This is a resource that allows consumers to get recorded food safety-related information. A hotline is staffed with food safety experts Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The telephone number is 1-888-674-6854.

        

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