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Seven Safety Tips for Grilling Season

Posted April 28, 2008 12:13 PM
Posted in barbecue, BBQ, cook, cookout, grilling, Health, healthy, outdoor, recipe, safe, season, summer, tips, wellness
By Ellen Griffin

Americans across the continent will dust off their barbecues this weekend, as Memorial Day ushers in the unofficial start of summer. And grilling is a great option for the health-conscious, as it helps to reduce the fat consumed in meats. It can also enhance the flavor of your fish, vegetables and even fruit. But is this favorite summertime cooking method safe?

Indeed, the jury's still out on whether heavy consumption of grilled foods poses a cancer risk. The best advice is to eat them in moderation and avoid thick, black "charring" of your food. Smart shopping, storage and preparation are also important for barbecue safety. As you heat up your grill, keep in mind these tips from the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

  • At the grocery store, select meat or poultry just before checkout. Keep packages in separate plastic bags to guard against cross-contamination of juices, then load meat and poultry into the air-conditioned part of your car (not the trunk). If you can't go straight home, or if you live more than 30 minutes away, take along a cooler with ice when summertime shopping.
  • Thoroughly clean cutting boards used for preparing raw meat or poultry, using hot soapy water or a sanitizing solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach.
  • Always marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter. If you plan to use a marinade to baste during cooking or as a sauce for cooked food, set it aside beforehand. Don't reuse marinade from raw meat or poultry on cooked foods.
  • To avoid charring of meats, remove visible fat that can drip on the coals and cause a flame-up, and precook meat in a microwave before placing on the grill.
  • If you're precooking, do so immediately before grilling. Once food is on the grill, cook it until it reaches a safe temperature. Don't hold partially cooked food, in case any bacteria has not yet been destroyed.
  • Keep meats hot until served -- a temperature of 140 F or warmer is recommended.
  • Don't served cooked items on the same platter that held the raw meat. Bacteria present in the raw meat juices could contaminate the safely cooked meat or other grilled foods.
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