CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Every year, many people across the U.S. fire up their grills and smokers to celebrate the Fourth of July. But before you get your barbeque on, 12 News sat down with a representative from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to get tips on how to stay safe from foodborne illness.
According to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service Branch, when you’re cooking outdoors and away from the safety of your clean kitchen, there are four food safety steps that everyone needs to follow. USDA Public Affairs Specialist Jesus Garcia told 12 News that the first step is clean.
“Always wash your hands before and after you touch raw meat and poultry. We’re going to be handling a lot of meat near the grill, but we’ve got to make sure we wash our hands before and after we handle raw meat and poultry because there is a lot of juices that can cause bacteria,” Garcia said.
Garcia said that you also need to have a water source or some type of cleaning product near you, such as hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes or alcohol to make sure that you can wipe down your hands and any utensils or plates that have touched raw meat and poultry.
“The next step is separate. We want you to use two different cutting boards, one for ready-to-eat foods like salad, cheeses, and bread and another one to cut your raw meat and poultry. We don’t want any of those raw juices to end up in your salad,” said Garcia.
The third step is to cook. Garcia said to make sure that all of the things you have grilled or smoked reach a safe internal temperature. According to the USDA, whole meats like steaks and pork chops must reach 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Ground meats like hotdogs, hamburgers, and sausages must reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and poultry ground or whole must reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
“The last step is chill. You don’t want food sitting out for more than two hours and if it’s above 90 degrees. The weather, if it’s hot that day make sure that it’s only out for one hour. Always make sure that you have a cooler nearby to put any leftovers in that cooler and store them safely,” Garcia said.
The USDA also wants to remind people that smokers cook at a lower temperature than grills, so if you plan to smoke your meat or poultry, it is important to let it thaw in the refrigerator prior to the event. According to Garcia, it takes 24 hours to defrost five pounds of meat in the refrigerator safely.
If you have food safety questions you can call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854 anytime Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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