Are You Preparing a Memorial Day Cookout? Don’t Risk Food Poisoning

As you ramp up for prime outdoor grilling season, make sure you’re not serving unsafe food on Memorial Day weekend.

Memorial Day, on Monday, May 25, honors U.S. military personnel who died serving their country. The holiday also marks the unofficial start of the outdoor grilling season, as family and friends gather for delicious grilled foods.

But backyard chefs want to avoid foodborne illnesses ruining the festivities. As many as 48 million people get sick from a foodborne illness each year, with 128,000 hospitalized and 3,000 dying, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Raw or undercooked meat and poultry, along with unwashed fruits and vegetables, are among the culprits that can carry germs that cause food poisoning, the CDC said.

“When planning a cookout, think beyond the menu and make a food safety game plan,” said Quad Whitson, extension culinary nutrition and food safety program associate for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, in a food safety primer.

“A little preparation up front can prevent a lot of problems later,” Whitson said, adding that outdoor cookouts may require additional supplies. For instance, packing your food in a well-insulated cooler will help keep cold foods at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below or hot foods at 140 degrees or above, he noted.

Before You Light the Grill

Here are some food safety tips on preparation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration:

Keep it cold: When shopping, select your meat, poultry, or fish last and keep raw meat separate from other items in your shopping cart. Refrigerate raw meat as soon as you get home from the grocery store. Freeze poultry and ground meat that won’t be used within 2 days; freeze other meat within 4 to 5 days.
Thaw: If possible, defrost any frozen meat and poultry in the refrigerator. But you can thaw sealed packages in cold water, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said. If you defrost using the microwave, put the food on the grill right away.
Marinate: No matter what marinade you use, marinate your food in the refrigerator (note: don’t thaw or marinate meat, poultry, or seafood on the counter). Ideally, dispose of your marinade after it has been used with raw meat. If you want to use some as a sauce for cooked food, set aside a portion before putting raw meat in it. If you want to brush it on while grilling, boil it for a few minutes first to destroy any bacteria.

Proper Cooking Temperatures for Grilling Meats

When cooking, you want meats to reach a certain internal temperature to kill bacteria such as E. coli, which has been linked to recurring recalls of ground beef and leafy greens. E. coli infection can lead to dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps three to four days after exposure — and potentially kidney failure in kids younger than 5 years old, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems, the CDC said.

A food thermometer will help you ensure food has been cooked to at least the minimum internal temperature. Place the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat and read the temperature after 10 to 20 seconds.

Poultry should be cooked to a minimum temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the USDA’s FSIS.
Hot dogs and burgers made of ground beef, pork, veal, or lamb should reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit. All cuts of pork should also reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Steaks, roasts, chops, and other whole cuts of meat should be cooked to at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit and allowed to rest for three minutes after removal from the grill for medium-rare; increase to 160 degrees Fahrenheit for medium.
For fish, cook to 145 degrees Fahrenheit or until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork, according to safe cooking temperature charts from the CDC and USDA.

Preventing Germs From Taking Over Your Cookout

To prevent bacteria in raw meat from contaminating other foods, use one cutting board or plate for raw meat, poultry, and seafood, and a separate one for produce, bread, and other foods that won’t be cooked, the CDC suggests.

Don’t use the same platters and utensils to take raw meat to the grill and to collect cooked meat and poultry — wash them or use different ones. You don’t need to rinse raw chicken or meat before cooking; washing may spread germs to your sink, counter, and other foods, according to FoodSafety.gov, maintained by the Department of Health & Human Services.

If you take your food to a cookout, pack raw meat in sealed containers or bags, then place them at the bottom of a cooler so juices don’t drip onto other foods.

Once the meat is on the grill, wash your counter and take any platters and utensils used to put meat on the grill to the kitchen for washing with hot, soapy water.

Also, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds after handling uncooked meat, poultry, seafood, flour, or eggs, as well as before eating, the CDC recommends.

Handling Leftovers Safely

As you prepare to serve the meal, keep cold food on ice before and even during serving. Warm food should be kept at or above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, so you may need to keep it insulated until it’s served.

Once the meal is over, remember “The Two-Hour Rule,” said USDA food safety expert Meredith Carothers. That’s how long perishable food “can be safely out at room temperature or outside temperatures before bacteria may reach dangerous or non-safe levels” that can’t be thwarted by reheating.

And if it’s really hot, that window gets slashed in half. “When temperatures are above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, that time actually reduces to only one hour,” Carothers said.

Refrigerate leftovers promptly in small containers. Small portions of warm food can go directly into the refrigerator or back into the insulated cooler. Cut large items such as whole roasts or hams into smaller parts before refrigerating; legs and wings may be left whole.

“If food has been sitting out too long and you’re not sure whether it has stayed cold enough, the best advice is ‘When in doubt, throw it out,’” Whitson said. “And when leftovers are reheated later, they should reach 165 degrees (Fahrenheit).”

Reporting by Mike Snider, USA TODAY / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect