Health Department - Environmental
Health
Keeping
Summer Food Events and Barbecues Safe and Fun
Serving
up a Safe Summer Barbecue
Summer
is the prime time for patio picnics. Warmer weather conditions
may be ideal for outdoor barbecues but they also provide
a perfect environment for bacteria and other pathogens in
food to multiply rapidly and cause foodborne illness. During
the summer months it is especially important to practice
safe food handling when preparing perishable foods such as
meat, poultry, seafood and low acid fruits such as melons.
The Wyoming Food Safety Coalition offers the following suggestions
to reduce the risk of foodborne illness this summer.
- Put
raw meat, fish, and poultry on the bottom shelf in the
refrigerator so the juices don't drip on foods that won't
be cooked.
- Before
handling any meat products or grilling utensils, wash your
hands thoroughly with soap and water. Do the same after
handling meat and between handling different types of meat
products to avoid cross-contamination.
- Keep
cold foods cold. Store meat or poultry in a cooler or refrigerator
and only take out the amount that will be used on the grill.
Open the cooler as few times as possible.
- Thaw
meat and poultry in the refrigerator or microwave before
grilling so it cooks evenly. Never thaw meat on the counter
at room temperature.
- Marinate
in the refrigerator, never at room temperature. If some
of the marinade is to be used for basting during cooking
or as a sauce on cooked food, reserve a portion. Do not
put raw meat or poultry in it. Never reuse the marinade
from raw meat on cooked food unless it is boiled first
to destroy bacteria.
- Always
use a thermometer to determine if food is done. Ground
beef should be cooked to 160 ° F while large cuts of
beef such as roasts and steaks may be cooked to 145 ° F
for medium rare or to 160 ° F for medium. Cook ground
poultry to 165 ° F and poultry parts to 170 ° F.
Fish should be opaque and flake easily. When heating fully
cooked foods like hot dogs, grill to 165 ° F.
- When
taking foods off the grill, do not put cooked food items
back on the same plate that previously held raw food.
- Food
should never sit out for more than one hour in warm weather.
If it does, discard it. Store leftovers in the refrigerator
and keep different types of meat and poultry products separated
and sufficiently wrapped to avoid cross-contamination.
- To reduce
risk of foodborne illness even further, consider using
irradiated meat for grilling. Irradiation is a safe processing
practice that kills harmful bacteria in meat, without spoiling
taste. This is a good alternative for highly susceptible
individuals, such as young children and seniors. Keep in
mind that irradiated meat still requires safe food handling
practices to avoid recontamination.
When serving
melons at your barbecue, the Wyoming Food Safety Coalition
recommends washing the fruit with drinking water before cutting
to remove surface dirt. Hands and all surface areas should
be washed thoroughly with hot, soapy water and rinsed. Cut
melons may be served without refrigeration for a maximum
of four hours. At the end of that time, any leftover melon
should be thrown away.
These tips
for smarter, safer barbecuing are brought to you by the Wyoming
Food Safety Coalition (WFSC), as well as the Wyoming Beef
Council, and the Cheyenne/Laramie County Health Department. Serving
Up a Safe Summer Barbecue, prepared by Ann Wittmann,
Wyoming Beef -Council, 307-777-7396)
Safe Temporary
Food Events
Along with
the nice summer weather comes an increase in temporary food
events. If you advertise that your event is open to the public,
and food is being prepared or served, chances are you need
a temporary food permit. If your event is a private function
with only invited guests consuming food, you may not need
a temporary food permit. If you are unsure about whether
or not your event needs a permit, please contact us.
To obtain
a temporary food permit visit the Cheyenne/Laramie County
Health Department, Division of Environmental Health at 100
Central Avenue, or call us at 307-633-4090. We also provide
free temporary food service training for individuals or groups.
For more
information on food safety contact the Cheyenne/Laramie County
Health Department, Division of Environmental Health, 307-633-4090.
Article
prepared by: Katie Hilla, Environmental Health Specialist,
Cheyenne/Laramie County Health Department. |
