Hot Topic: Cook-Out Dos and Don'ts
Memorial Day marks the symbolic beginning of summer, which is always a great time to fire up the grill and enjoy a meal with friends and family. Put a spread on the table, but don't spread foodborne illnesses, which are caused by eating contaminated foods or beverages. So before you toss something tasty on the barbecue, read over these tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to make sure your next gathering is a healthy one:
Cook: Cook meat, poultry and eggs thoroughly. Using a thermometer to measure the internal temperature of meat is a good way to be sure that it is cooked sufficiently to kill bacteria. For example, ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160o F. Eggs should be cooked until the yolk is firm.
Separate: Don't cross-contaminate one food with another. Avoid cross-contaminating foods by washing hands, utensils, and cutting boards after they have been in contact with raw meat or poultry and before they touch another food. Put cooked meat on a clean platter, rather than back on one that held the raw meat.
Chill: Refrigerate leftovers promptly. Bacteria can grow quickly at room temperature, so refrigerate leftover foods if they are not going to be eaten within 4 hours. Large volumes of food will cool more quickly if they are divided into several shallow containers for refrigeration.
Clean: Wash produce. Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables in running tap water to remove visible dirt and grime. Remove and discard the outermost leaves of a head of lettuce or cabbage. Because bacteria can grow well on the cut surface of fruit or vegetable, be careful not to contaminate these foods while slicing them up on the cutting board, and avoid leaving cut produce at room temperature for many hours. Don't be a source of foodborne illness yourself. Wash your hands with soap and water before preparing food. Avoid preparing food for others if you yourself have a diarrheal illness. Changing a baby's diaper while preparing food is a bad idea that can easily spread illness.
Report: Report suspected foodborne illnesses to your local public health department, an important part of the food safety system. Calls from concerned citizens are often how outbreaks are first detected.
For more health and safety advice about family get-togethers, visit the CDC website.
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