Five Things: Food Safety Tips for 4th of July BBQ’s

The daily five discussing key elements of warm weather food safety for Wednesday, July 4, according to The Partnership for Food Safety Education.

Clean

Wash your hands, cutting boards and utensils and counter tops frequently with warm, soapy water.

Separate 

Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood separate from other foods. This includes prepping them on a separate cutting board or surface. Make sure to transport raw meat, poultry and seafood to the grill on one plate and remove it and serve it on a different plate. Don’t use marinades that have had raw meat, poultry or seafood in them as a dressing after cooking; make up a separate batch.

Cook

Use a food thermometer to gauge the correct safe, internal temperatures for cooked foods. Follow this chart from the FDA for the safe, internal cooked temperatures for meat, poultry, seafood, eggs and leftovers.

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Chill

Don’t let raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs or cut vegetables or fruits sit out unrefrigerated for more than two hours. Don’t defrost frozen meat, etc. at room temperature; plan ahead and defrost safely in your refrigerator. You can also defrost frozen foods under cold running water or in the microwave, but these should be cooked immediately after thawing.

Enjoy

Have a great time at those summer picnics and BBQ’s, while keeping food safety in mind to avoid trips to the emergency room. Happy Fourth of July from all of us at Patch. And in case, you are wondering, the National Weather Service is predicting a cloudy day with a high near 87 and low around 69. There is also a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms.

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