Barbecue Food Safety

More than half of Americans say that they cook outdoors year 'round. To help keep you, your family, and your guests healthy, follow these important guidelines for handling food safely - from the store, to the grill, and onto your plate!

From the Store to the House

• Refrigerate food within 2 hours (1 hour if over 90°F). Freeze poultry and ground meat that won't be used in one or two days; other meat four to five days.

Defrost Safely

• Defrost meat and poultry completely. Use the refrigerator for slow, safe thawing or put sealed packages in cold water. Microwave defrost if food will go immediately on the grill.

Marinating

• Marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter. If using it as a sauce on the cooked food, save some separately.

Transporting

• Keep food cold when taking it somewhere. Use an insulated cooler with ice or ice packs. Keep the food at 40°F or below. Pack food right from the refrigerator into the cooler.

Keep Cold Food Cold

• Keep meat and poultry refrigerated until ready to use.

Keep Everything Clean

• Be sure to use clean utensils and platters.

Precooking

• Precooking food partially in the microwave or oven can reduce grilling time. Make sure food goes immediately on the preheated grill to complete cooking.

Cook Thoroughly

• Cook food to a safe internal temperature. Use a food thermometer. NEVER partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking later. When reheating fully cooked meats like hot dogs, grill to 165°F or until steaming hot.

Keep Hot Food Hot

• After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it hot (140 °F or warmer) until served.

Serving the Food

• Use a clean platter when taking food off the grill. Do not use the platter that held the raw meat or poultry. In hot weather (above 90°F), food should never sit out for more than one hour.

Leftovers

• Refrigerate any leftovers promptly. Discard any food left out more than two hours (one hour if temperatures are above 90°F).

For more information

• See our health feature on Preventing Food Poisoning.

• Visit Preferred Care's online Health Encyclopedia for information on the Food Handling Hotline.

• Go to the New York State Department of Health's Web site for complete information on Barbeque Food Safety.

Posted: June 2005