Today Show: Five Steps to a Safer Barbecue
Almost everyone loves a good barbecue in the summertime. However, while it is a lot of fun and can be a convenient way to prepare food while enjoy the great outdoors, it is also important to take the necessary precautions to prevent food-borne illness. In fact, the Today show quotes the Centers for Disease Control and USDA as saying that food safety-related illnesses increase over 150 percent. T
Here are some simple tips to making your barbecue a safer one:
1. Pack your foods carefully - There are several options here. You can pack your food on ice in an insulated cooler, use a picnic basket lined with plastic bags to keep things cool and freeze juice boxes to keep other foods (among other things). They also suggest using a refrigerator thermometer to check the temperature. Finally, it’s a bad idea to keep food in your trunk since they get hot quicker so, to be on the safe side, let your food travel in the passenger area of your vehicle!
More after the jump!
2. Wrap your foods properly and don’t cross contaminate - Use plastic Tupperware-style containers or ZipLoc bags to separate foods and securely seal them. Avoid paper bags, aluminum foil or plastic wrap where the foods can leak and cross contaminate other foods. Never put raw and cooked foods of any kind together — or even on the same plates. If you are using a marinade, never use the leftover sauce on cooked meats. You run the risk of spreading the bacteria from the raw meats (and brush) to the cooked meat.
3. Wash, wash, wash - Wash your hands thoroughly with hot soapy water before cooking, handling raw foods and before handling cooked foods. Cross contamination is one of the biggest sources of food safety problems, and careful washing can help prevent those problems. If you are not near running water you can use a waterless cleaner, like Purell, that kills germs and bacteria instantly. Also, fill a spray bottle with water and one tablespoon of bleach to keep handy to wipe off surfaces and utensils. Wipe dry with a heavy-duty paper towel and throw those germs away. Don’t use cloth towels that help germs breed and multiply.
4. Make it hot! - Make sure that all meats are cooked thoroughly. And be sure your grill is hot before you cook. Electric grills should be heated at least 15 minutes prior to cooking and gas grills at least 10 minutes. Don’t rely on a visual image, thinking that meats that are brown are thoroughly cooked. Use a meat thermometer to test temperatures: Ground beef should be cooked to 160 F, steaks and roasts to 150 F, poultry to 180 F. If you are grilling fish, make sure it is cooked thoroughly and be especially careful with shellfish.
5. Make it cold! - Refrigerate leftovers as soon as you can, ideally no more than one hour after cooking, especially when it’s warm outside. Enjoy summertime eating and remember that you can eliminate most food safety hazards just by practicing these simple tips.
image provided by Newscom
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POSTED IN: Daytime Talk Shows, Expert Advice, The Today Show
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