Grill safe: avoiding food mistakes this summer

AccuWeather

Meredith Carothers from the USDA gave viewers of AccuEarly several tips for avoiding food mistakes during the summer heat.

Transcript

00:00Meredith Brothers from the USDA to share how to keep food safe all summer long.

00:05As we mentioned, Memorial Day kicks off grilling season.

00:08So what are some of the top food safety mistakes people make this time of year?

00:13So like you mentioned, that warmer weather is great for all of us to go hang out in,

00:18but it also is a place where foodborne illness bacteria like to hang out in.

00:22So common mistakes are leaving your food out for way too long,

00:25not using a food thermometer when you're grilling,

00:27and then not getting your food in the refrigerator or keeping it cold at a safe temperature fast enough.

00:33Let's talk about the safe this way, then the pack and transport food for picnics or road trips.

00:41You absolutely want to be using cold sources like frozen gel packs, ice, frozen water bottles or juice boxes even

00:48to keep your food nice and cold while you're transporting it.

00:52Otherwise, foodborne illness bacteria might start to multiply

00:54and your food would be unsafe before you even get to your place where you're trying to eat it.

01:00What should people keep in mind to avoid cross-contamination and undercooked meat on the grill?

01:05So raw meat and poultry products have foodborne illness causing bacteria just naturally with them.

01:11So things to keep in mind are to avoid any cross-contamination,

01:15which is the movement of that bacteria to something that you might eat, which could get you sick.

01:19So things to keep in mind are using separate plates, separate utensils,

01:23you know, not putting cooked food onto the plate that you carried it out to the grill in,

01:28you know, the raw things out to the grill,

01:30and trying to keep those nice and washed and clean and using those separate things when possible.

01:35And explain the danger zone for food and how can people avoid it during summer gatherings?

01:42Yes, so the danger zone is the range of temperatures between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit,

01:50where foodborne illness bacteria multiply rapidly and can even reach dangerous levels that can get you sick,

01:55which is not what we want for our summer activities.

01:58So the way to avoid the danger zone is to follow a two-hour rule.

02:02That means not leaving foods out in warm temperatures for more than two hours,

02:06or one hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

02:10Or you can keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

02:13So that's where transporting things with ice really is important.

02:17That'll help keep foods cold enough so that way the bacteria aren't multiplying

02:21and aren't reaching dangerous levels before you want to eat those items.

02:24Is there anyone who's most at risk when it comes to the foodborne illnesses?

02:29Should certain people be taking certain precautions?

02:32Absolutely.

02:33So there are different at-risk populations of individuals who are immunocompromised

02:37or maybe don't have an immune system strong enough to fight foodborne illness bacteria,

02:42like somebody who has a fully formed or fully healthy immune system.

02:46Those will be people like older adults, any children, anybody who's going through, you know,

02:51a certain illness or different things like cancer or if you have diabetes,

02:55if you're a transplant recipient or have an autoimmune disease,

02:58things like those are going to put individuals at risk for higher consequences

03:02or higher illness outcomes from foodborne illness.

03:05So absolutely taking precautions and keeping your food safe and handling them safely

03:09will help prevent any complications there.

03:11All right.

03:12We're going to stop Ariella because she's got 10 other questions.

03:15I'll email you separately.

03:17Meredith Carruthers, public affairs specialist, and Ariella's new best friend for the USDA.

03:23Thanks again for joining us.

03:25And if you give her your email, you'll be hearing from her.

03:30Yeah, I'm happy to answer any and all questions.

03:32Oh, great.

03:33Excellent.

03:33I've got a personal contact now.

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