Keep Food Safe at Your 4th of July BBQ With These 4 Tips

Are you hosting the annual BBQ this holiday weekend?  If so, Here are 4 easy tips on making sure you’re practicing food safety during your cookout while still having fun with family and friends. 

Wash

• Wash your grill according to the manufacturer’s instructions
• Wash all utensils and cutting boards after use to ensure there are no issues regarding cross contamination (who wants vegetables being chopped on a cutting board used for raw chicken…. Not me!)
• Wash your hands thoroughly with warm, soapy water before, during and after food preparation (I think after this year, we all are hand washing experts, am I right?)

Separate

• Keep your cooked and ready-to-eat foods separate from your raw meats and poultry
• Use one set of plates and utensils for raw meats and poultry and have ready a clean plate and utensils ready at grill-side for when your meats and poultry are cooks and ready to be served

Refrigerate

• Do not let perishables (AKA items that typically are stored in the refrigerator) sit out for longer than two hours OR one hour if you are outside and the temperature is above 90°F
• Perishable items are to be stored below 40°F in your refrigerator, so double check your refrigerator thermostat
• If you are transporting food, it is best to pack the food in ice and keep it in the passenger part of the car, since it is cooler, instead of the trunk

Cook

• Use a food thermometer!  
• Here are the temperatures you should be looking for to identify the items is cooked and ready to be enjoyed:  

Meat/Poultry/Seafood	Temperature
Chicken	165 °F
Hot Dog	165 °F
Fish	145 °F
Pork	145 °F
Steak	145 °F
Bratwurst	160-165 °F
Hamburger	160 °F

• Remember ready-to-cook items like beef patties still need to be cooked thoroughly
• Labels may say words like “cook and serve”, “ready to cook” and “oven ready” and appear pre-cooked or browned, but should be handled and prepared as raw food and must be cooked

Now that you know how to keep your food safe this holiday, get out there and enjoy the sunshine, fireworks and food safe BBQ with family and friends!

This blog was written by Amanda J, Stahl, RD, LDN, co-founder of Simple Start Nutrition.  For more blog posts and nutrition information follow @simplestartnutrition on Instagram and Facebook.  Also feel free to contact us, by visiting our website (simplestartnutrition.com) to schedule an appointment to discuss your nutrition related needs.  We are here to help. 

References

https://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/three-summer-grilling-food-safety-tips-grill-masters-and-rookies

https://www.eatright.org/-/media/homefoodsafety/multimedia/infographics/atthegrill-infographic.jpg?la=en&hash=232199C62F33B9C844E6B9248F57EE9C38749B7E