Food safety tips for Fourth of July barbecues

Nothing is more fun than a Fourth of July picnic or barbecue.

In addition to being careful not to overeat, it’s important during your party to follow safe food handling steps so your food will be safe and healthy for you and your guests.

Here are four food safety tips from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help you prevent foodborne illness:

1. Clean

First – start with clean surfaces and clean hands. You and your guests should wash your hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before and after handling food. Equally important are the surfaces that come in contact with raw and cooked foods – make sure they’re clean before you start and are washed frequently.

2. Separate

Raw meats and poultry should be prepared separately from produce and cooked foods. Use separate cutting boards when chopping raw meats and produce, as juices from raw meats may contain harmful bacteria that can cross-contaminate ready-to-eat foods.

3. Cook

Your food thermometer is the most important tool that will tell you if your food is thoroughly cooked, as color is not a reliable indicator of doneness. The safe minimum internal temperature to kill any harmful bacteria in steaks, roasts, chops, and fish is 145°F, while ground beef should reach 160°F. Take extra care with frozen hamburgers as these take longer to reach a safe internal temperature throughout the patties. It’s important to measure the temperature in several areas of your burgers. All poultry and fully cooked meats such as hot dogs should be grilled to 165°F or until steaming hot.

4. Chill

Perishable food should never sit out for more than two hours. If the temperature is above 90°F – which is common at summer picnics – perishable foods shouldn’t sit out more than one hour. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers promptly, and discard any food that has been out too long.

Enjoy your barbecue and your guests.