Keeping Food Safety Top Of Mind As Grilling Season Starts

The Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start of the summer grilling season. USDA’s Food Safety Expert Meredith Carothers said with the warmer weather, it’s important to protect against food safety risks.

“So easy to throw it on, put on some meats that have been marinated, or even just some burgers, or things like that on the grill, so it’s a really great and tasty way to cook your food, especially in the summer when you want to be outside and enjoying the weather," Carothers said.  "Foodborne illness bacteria like to thrive in warm environments. So, if you have raw meat and poultry or other food products that are perishable out in warm temperatures, any bacteria that are present in those foods are likely to multiply faster and faster and faster, and potentially to dangerous levels, as the weather gets warmer or as it's in that warm environment.”

High Temps, Reduce Your Time

She said the two-hour rule about leaving perishable food outside and not in a refrigerator still applies in avoiding foodborne illness.

“When temperatures are above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, that time actually reduces to only one hour," Carothers noted.  "Starting with a clean grill, a clean smoker, it's better and safer to start with a clean grill, making sure you're scraping off those bits before you put new ones on there. Starting with clean grates is helpful.”

Have Different Utensils

If you’re cooking outdoors without access to a water faucet, she recommends soap, bottled water, and paper towels to clean the grill.  Carothers also said it’s important to keep cooked and uncooked meats separate.

“Keeping in mind to have a different set of utensils there at your grill, ready to swap is important, or taking those tongs inside to wash and sanitize before bringing them back out to put your cooked food onto whatever plate or platter you’re taking it back in,” Carothers said.

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