Food Safety Hot Topics
Enjoy Memorial Day but cook out safely, extension specialist says
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Can anything be better than cooking outside for Memorial
Day? Barbequing seems to be an all-American activity suited for the holiday.
It’s also appropriate on any warm, weekend.
But be careful operating the grill and be aware of food safety issues or you
could be making an unscheduled trip to a doctor’s office or hospital, warns Dr.
John Marcy, professor-extension poultry processing specialist with the
University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
Marcy, who conducts the annual 4-H barbeque cooking contest at the Arkansas
State Fair, said food safety and grill safety are the main concerns as you throw
on the meat to cook.
"Before you crank up the grill, be aware of the condition of the equipment,"
he said. Here are additional tips:
- With a gas grill, make sure no spider webs are blocking the jets.
- Make sure all gas line connections are tight.
- Make sure the equipment is operating at a safe distance from any
structure.
- If you light a gas grill manually, stand as far back as you can, and be
careful!
- If you’re using charcoal, use an approved flammable liquid with a low
volatility. NEVER use gasoline.
Marcy said an inexpensive "charcoal chimney" device with newspaper as the
fuel can be more effective than lighter fluid in starting a fire, and "people
always have newspapers around."
Pre-soaked charcoal is another good option to using a flammable liquid.
Food safety is also a concern, said Marcy, a food safety expert.
"The main thing is not get the fire too hot so you don’t get the outside
cooked before the inside," he said. "If you cook the meat slower and longer
you’ll get a better product."
Cook food to a safe minimum internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria,
Marcy said. Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe
minimum internal temperature.
Beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts and chops can be cooked to 145 degrees,
but hamburgers made of ground beef should reach 160 degrees for 15 seconds to
ensure safety. All cuts of pork should reach 160 degrees. All poultry should
reach a minimum of 165 degrees for safety. You can heat boned chicken to 180
degrees to get the red out.
Food safety also means taking precautions in the kitchen.
"Be sure there are plenty of clean utensils and platters." Marcy said. "To
prevent food-borne illness, don’t use the same platter and utensils for raw and
cooked meat and poultry and vegetables. Harmful bacteria present in raw meat and
poultry, and their juices can contaminate safely cooked food."
"The other big thing is cooling," Marcy said. "Any cooked food outside for up
to four hours is probably ok. But don’t try to refrigerate it for the next day.
For leftovers, refrigerate within an hour."
For more information about food safety, contact your county extension agent
or visit www.uaex.edu and select Health and
Nutrition, then food safety. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U
of A Division of Agriculture.
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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