Follow Barbecue Basics For Safe Grilling

It takes more than a choice steak, plump chicken breast or fish fillet to produce a great barbecue. If food safety basics are not followed, that tasty meal from the grill can make you quite sick. Follow these simple tips to produce safe food from the barbecue.

• Keep food cold. Cold temperatures prevent most harmful bacteria from multiplying. If a marinade is used to add tenderness or flavor, marinate in the refrigerator. Also, use the refrigerator to defrost frozen items. If the food will be barbecued right away, it can be defrosted in the microwave following the manufacturer’s directions. Place leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate within one hour of cooking.
• Clean and sanitize equipment, utensils and work surfaces including cutting boards with a mild bleach solution (5 mL/ 1 tsp bleach to 750 mL/3 cups water) before you start and after preparing food. Rinse with clean water and let air dry. Wash your hands with soap and hot water for 20 seconds before preparing food and after you touch raw meat, poultry or fish.
• Avoid cross contamination. Keep the juices of raw meat, poultry and seafood from dripping onto other foods. Place these foods on a plate and store on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Use two cutting boards: one for raw meat, poultry and seafood; the other for fruits and vegetables and cooked foods. Put cooked food on a clean plate.
• Cook food to a safe internal temperature when measured with a food thermometer.