Partnership for Food Safety Education

FightBAC!

  • Food Safety Basics
    • The Core Four Practices
    • Featured Resources
  • Food Poisoning
    • About Foodborne Illness
    • Foodborne Pathogens
    • Causes & Symptoms
    • Food Safety Glossary
  • Food Safety Education
    • National Food Safety Education Month
    • Prep Yourself: Delivery Food Is on the Way
    • The Story of Your Dinner
    • Safe Poultry Handling
    • Flour & Home Food Safety
    • Safe Produce
    • Recall Basics
    • Food Safety Mythbusters
    • Go 40 or Below
    • Safety in All Seasons
  • Hands On
    • Getting Started
    • Download Hands On
    • FAQs
    • Locations
    • Testimonials
    • Support Hands On
  • For Kids
    • Babies & Toddlers
    • Child Care Training
    • Curricula & Programs
    • Kids Games & Activities
    • School Lunches
  • Safe Recipes
    • Safe Recipe Style Guide
    • Safe Recipe Activity for Middle School
    • Cookbooks
    • Appetizers
    • Side Dishes
    • Entrees
    • Desserts
  • Free Resources
    • Coronavirus Resources
    • Recorded Webinars
    • World Food Safety Day
    • Global Handwashing Day
    • Recursos en español
    • Evaluation Toolkit
  • About Us
    • Partnership & History
    • Board of Directors
    • Who Is Involved
    • PFSE Team
    • Brand Assets
    • BAC Fighter Ambassadors
    • Job Openings
    • Contact Us
  • How to Fight BAC
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • 2023 Conference
  • Blog

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

Seven Super Steps to Safe Food in the Summer

JulyBAC (1)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. The warmer weather conditions may be ideal for outdoor picnics and barbecues, but they also provide a perfect environment for bacteria and other pathogens in food to multiply rapidly and cause foodborne illness. Follow the suggestions below to Fight BAC!® (foodborne bacteria) and reduce the risk of foodborne illness this summer.

  1. Wash, Wash, Wash Your Hands. Always wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.  Sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat twice to get a sense of how long you should wash.
  2. Marinating Mandate. Always marinate food in the refrigerator. 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.
  3. Hot, Hot, Hot. When grilling foods, preheat the coals on your grill for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the coals are lightly coated with ash.
  4. Temperature Gauge. Use a food thermometer to ensure that food reaches a safe internal temperature.
  5. Where’s the Beef? Chicken and Fish? Hamburgers should be cooked to 160 ºF, while large cuts of beef such as roasts and steaks may be cooked to 145 ºF for medium rare or to 160 ºF for medium.  Poultry must reach a temperature of 165 °F. Fish should be opaque and flake easily.
  6. Stay Away from that Same Old Plate. When taking foods off the grill, do not put cooked food items back on the same plate that held raw food, unless it has been washed with hot water and soap first. And in hot weather (above 90°F) foods should never sit out for more than one hour before going in the refrigerator.
  7. Icebox Etiquette. A full cooler will maintain its cold temperatures longer than one that is partially filled so it is important to pack plenty of extra ice or freezer packs to ensure a constant cold temperature. Keep the cooler out of the direct sun. Keep drinks in a separate cooler from foods. The beverage cooler will be opened frequently while the food cooler stays cold.


Resources

If you have more questions or concerns about food safety, contact:

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854). TTY 1-800-256-7072.
  • The Fight BAC!® Web site at www.fightbac.org
  • Gateway to Government Food Safety Information at www.foodsafety.gov

The Partnership for Food Safety Education is a non-profit organization and creator and steward of the Fight BAC!® consumer education program. The Partnership is dedicated to providing the public with science-based, actionable recommendations for the prevention of foodborne illness.

Copyright © 2022 · Partnership for Food Safety Education

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin Instagram Youtube Youtube Envelope