Food Safety Feature Articles
Tips for safe grilling in the summer
Janet Hackert, regional nutrition and health education specialist, Harrison County, University of Missouri Extension
Summer is a great time to keep the heat out of the kitchen by grilling safely outside. Here are some tips to address the most common concerns in grilling safety.
First, marinate meat in the refrigerator to keep it cool. Treat the used marinade as you would the raw meat juices it contains — that means the marinade needs to be boiled if it will be used as a sauce.
Be sure to avoid cross-contamination when grilling. Raw meat juices may contain microorganisms that cause flu-like symptoms if eaten. Vegetables and cooked meat must be kept separate from raw and undercooked meat or meat juices on cutting boards, platters, and cooking and serving utensils. Although that may mean using more dishes, it’s important to keep people from getting sick from food-borne illness.
Meat must be cooked to the proper internal temperature when grilling. Use a meat thermometer to check internal food temperatures, making sure the sensor is in the middle of the thickest part of the meat. Be careful that the thermometer doesn’t touch bone or peek out the other side of the meat, as this may give an inaccurate temperature. For beef, veal and lamb steaks, roasts and chops, cook to 145 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. For all cuts of pork, grill to 160° F or more. Ground meat of any kind should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 160° F, and all poultry should have an internal temperature of at least 165° F.
On a cool day, meat off the grill should be eaten or refrigerated within two hours. That is because at air temperatures between 40 and 140° F — a range referred to as the Food Safety Danger Zone — germs that cause food borne illness thrive and can reach potentially dangerous levels within two hours. As air temperatures rise, that time period lessens. On hot days — 90° F or above — that time is reduced to one hour. To keep meat safe, don’t let it sit out before or after grilling, eat it quickly or keep it cool.
For more information on grilling safety, contact Janet Hackert during regular working hours at the Harrison County MU Extension Center, 660-425-6434. If you have a question in the off-hours, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a Meat and Poultry hot line with recorded answers to many common questions. To contact the Meat and Poultry hot line, call 888-MPHOTLINE or 888-674-6854.
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Last update: Friday, June 19, 2009
