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Hot Off the Grill: Home Grilling Safety Tips

May 11, 2020

Families are doing more grilling this year. Nielsen reported that fresh meat alternative sales increased 255% in the last week of March (compared to the same week in 2019), fully outpacing the growth of meat sales, which increased 53% over the same period.

Fight BAC! is here to help you out with a few essential tips on handling meat safely, and how grilling safely at home can keep you and your family healthy.

Clean hands & surfaces

Washing your hands and surfaces the correct way will help reduce the risk of harmful germs:

  • Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.
  • Wash your cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops with hot soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next food.
  • Do not rinse raw meat or poultry before cooking it. This is not a safety step, and it could spread dangerous germs around your kitchen.


Thawing meat

woman and daughter washing at kitchen sinkYou may be buying more meats in bulk right now and freezing for later use. Make sure to thaw meats properly:

  • Never let raw meat, poultry, eggs, cooked food or cut fresh fruits or vegetables sit at room temperature more than two hours before putting them in the refrigerator or freezer (one hour when the temperature is above 90°F).
  • Never thaw food at room temperature. Food must be kept at a safe temperature during thawing.
  • There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately

Marinades

Everyone loves a good marinade! Make sure to safely marinate and store your meat:

  • Always marinate foods in the refrigerator, not on the counter or outdoors.
  • Don’t use sauce that was used to marinate raw meat or poultry on cooked food.
  • Reserve a portion of the unused marinade to use as a sauce.

Grilling temps

meat thermometer checking grilled meatWhen it’s time to grill the food, cook it to a safe internal temperature for safety and quality. Use a food thermometer to be sure! 

  • Beef, pork, veal and lamb (roast, steaks and chops): 145 °F with a three-minute “rest time” after removal from the heat source
  • Ground meats: 160 °F
  • Poultry (whole, parts or ground): 165 °F
  • Eggs and egg dishes: 160 °F, but cook eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm; scrambled eggs should not be runny
  • Fin fish: 145 °F
  • Shrimp, lobster and crabs: flesh pearly and opaque
  • Clams, oysters and mussels: shells open during cooking
  • Scallops: milky white, opaque and firm
Download the Safe Minimal Internal Temperatures Chart

Avoid cross-contamination

chicken and produce kept separate on counterCross-contamination is how harmful bacteria can be spread. Improper handling of raw meat, poultry or seafood can create an inviting environment for cross-contamination:

  • Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry or seafood.
  • Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry and seafood.
  • Be sure to have plenty of clean utensils and platters on hand.

Leftovers

After the meal, remember to handle leftovers safely to prevent foodborne illness:

  • Plan on enough storage space in the refrigerator and freezer. In the refrigerator, air needs to circulate to keep the temperature at 40 °F or below. Use an appliance thermometer in your refrigerator to monitor the temperature.
  • Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.
  • Leftovers stored in the refrigerator should be consumed within 3-4 days
  • Reheat leftovers to 165 °F before eating.

woman washing vegetables in kitchenTo help you Fight BAC!® (harmful bacteria) this grilling season, we’ve collected five grilling recipes with built-in food safety and hand hygiene steps.

Check out food safety videos on grilling and safe food preparation on the Food Safety YouTube channel.

Have a happy and safe grilling season!

Shawnte Loeri is the Communications Associate with the Partnership for Food Safety Education. She can be reached at sloeri@fightbac.org.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: BAC Fighter, Core Four Practices, Food handling, food poisoning, food safety, Food safety education, foodborne illness, fridge, grill, Grill Master, grilling, grilling season, grilling temperature, grilling temps, Handwashing, leftover, leftovers, marinade, marinades, marinate, meat, protein, summer, summer grilling, Summer picnic, thaw, thawing, thawing meat, wash hands

Grill Master

A true “Grill Master” always knows to clean, separate, cook and chill to ensure a pleasant cookout for all.

  • Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.
  • Always marinate foods in the refrigerator, not on the counter or outdoors. Don’t use sauce that was used to marinate raw meat or poultry on cooked food. Boil used marinade before applying to cooked food or reserve a portion of the unused marinade to use as a sauce.
  • When grilling foods, preheat the coals on your grill for 20 or 30 minutes, or until the coals are lightly coated with ash.
  • If you partially cook food in the microwave, oven or stove to reduce grilling time, do so immediately before the food goes on the hot grill.
  • When it’s time to grill the food, cook it to a safe internal temperature. Use a food thermometer to be sure. The food thermometer should be placed in the thickest part of the meat and should not be touching bone, fat, or gristle. Check the temperature in several places to make sure the food is evenly heated.
    • Beef, veal and lamb steaks and roasts: 145 °F for medium rare and 160 °F for medium.
    • Ground pork and ground beef: 160 °F.
    • Poultry: to at least 165 °F.
    • Fin fish: 145 °F or until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork.
    • Shrimp, lobster and crabs: The meat should be pearly and opaque.
    • Clams, oysters and mussels: Until the shells are open.
  • Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs. Be sure to have plenty of clean utensils and platters on hand.
  • Grilled food can be kept hot until serving by moving it to the side of the grill rack, just away from the coals to avoid overcooking.
  • Never let raw meat, poultry, eggs, cooked food or cut fresh fruits or vegetables sit at room temperature for more than two hours before putting them in the refrigerator or freezer (one hour when the temperature is above 90 °F).
Grilling Temps Flyer 2020

Food Thermometer Safe Grilling Flyer

Grill Temperature Chart

Get the Temperature Chart Poster

Resources
If you have more questions or concerns about food safety, visit these websites:

  • CDC Food Safety
  • USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline
  • FDA Food Safety at Home
  • FoodSafety.gov

Grilling Safety

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Summer Grilling Graphics

Download easy and shareable graphics to remind consumers what temperatures the most popular grilling meats need to reach to be safe. 

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Summer without Salmonella

Cases of foodborne illness spike in the summer. But with these flyers and graphics, we can spread the word about ways to reduce incidence of Salmonella infections. 

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Seven Super Steps to Safe Food in the Summer

During warm weather, it is especially important to take extra precautions and practice safe food handling when preparing perishable foods such as meat, poultry, seafood and egg products. Here are steps to protect yourself and your family from foodborne illness this summer.

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Lucious, fresh garden vegetables picked from the garden ready to be served for a healthy meal.

On the Road Again…Traveling and Picnics

When eating outside while traveling or picnicking away from home, it’s important to take along the basic food safety necessities and follow these tips to reduce risk of foodborne illness.

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Grilling Tools - Resized

Grill Master

Grilling calls for special food safety steps. Find out methods of grilling safely and being a true Grill Master. 

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Food Safety on the Move

You need to practice special food safety steps when you hit the road for cookouts and picnics. Read more to find out what you need to do to keep your food safe on the move. 

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Summer Grilling Graphics

These new grilling graphics in English and Spanish let consumers take safe cooking temperatures with them everywhere they go to grill this summer. Share them on your websites, through your social media channels, or even print them as postcards!

Chicken Grilling Graphic

Download Chicken Graphic

Chicken Grilling Graphic Spanish

Download Spanish Chicken Graphic

Safe Grilled Turkey

Download Turkey Graphic

cocinando pavo a la parrilla

Download Spanish Turkey Graphic

Hamburger Grilling Graphic

Download Hamburger Graphic

Hamburger Grilling Graphic Spanish

Download Spanish Hamburger Graphic

 
Pork Chop Grilling Graphic

Download Pork Chops Graphic

Pork Chop Grilling Graphic Spanish

Download Spanish Pork Chops Graphic

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