Outdoor barbecue parties and summer go hand-in-hand. Every day there is someone grilling up a storm. Here are some safety tips for making the most of the season.
Cleanliness is a must
To prevent bacteria from getting onto your food, it is important to keep the area around the grill clean. Use a cloth to wipe the grill clean before and after you cook. While cooking, use towels and hand sanitizers. Make sure to provide hand sanitizers as a gift for your guests. Hand washing is essential before and after handling raw meats or poultry.
Use Essential food safety tips
Barbecues are incomplete without meat. To avoid bacteria contamination, it is important to properly store, cook, and preserve cooked meat at the correct temperature. Keep raw meat below 40°F (preferably in a refrigerator or cooler) until you are ready to cook it. It is important to cook meat at a temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. This temperature should be maintained until the meat can be sliced. When it comes to cooking meat at the correct temperature, a meat thermometer is your best friend.
Avoid cross-contamination at all costs
Cross-contamination is the main reason many people get sick from barbecue parties. Cross contamination basically means that germs from raw meat can spread to cooked foods and beverages, as well as your own hands. This is why it is important to keep raw meat cool and away from cooked and ready-to-eat foods. Use different utensils to handle raw and cooked meat. Throw away any sauce that comes into contact with raw meat. Wrap raw meat in plastic sheet before storing it in the fridge or cooler to prevent any juices from leaking out and contaminating the rest of your food.
Freeze uncooked food without fail
It doesn’t necessarily mean that ready-to-eat meat has been cooked. You should keep an eye on any uneaten food and ensure that they are properly stored. It is best to freeze uneaten food within two hours of it being cooked. BBQ parties are great in summer, when you can grill your favorite dishes outside. To ensure you and your guests don’t get sick from the barbecue, here are some safety tips.
