As millions of Americans head to picnics, attend barbecues and fire up the grill this Fourth of July and throughout the summer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is helping consumers learn how to protect themselves with the four steps to food safety and answering common grilling questions.
The CDC estimates that foodborne illness results in roughly 48 million people getting sick, 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths in the U.S. annually, and unfortunately rates of foodborne illness tend to increase during the summer months. Both seasoned grill masters and first-time grillers need to keep the four steps to food safety–clean, separate, cook and chill–top of mind.
Clean: If you’re grilling and eating outdoors, find out if there is a source of clean water. If not, bring water for food preparation and cleaning, or pack clean cloths, alcohol-based moist towelettes and hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol for cleaning surfaces and hands.
Separate: Keep raw meats separate from other foods, like fruits and vegetables, to prevent cross-contamination.
Cook: Confirm foods are cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature by always using a food thermometer.
Chill: Ensure your cooler is fully stocked with ice or frozen gel packs to help keep perishable foods cold. Pack beverages in one cooler and perishable food in another cooler. Bacteria grow rapidly in the “Danger Zone” between 40 F and 140 F. Don’t leave food out for longer than two hours, or one hour if it’s over 90 F outside. When serving food, it is important to remember to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
For any summer food safety questions, Americans are encouraged to call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or chat live at http://ask.usda.gov from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.