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 H-E-B
Food Safety
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Food Safety Gets No Vacation at Barbecues, Picnics Picnic basket, charcoal, paper plates? Check. Hamburgers, hot dogs, cole slaw and potato salad? No problem.  E. coli, salmonella, other assorted microorganisms? Not on your life!
According to the Retail Foods Division at the Texas Department of Health (TDH), you need to take extra precautions with food safety when you get ready for a picnic or backyard barbecue, including keeping cold things cold and hot items hot. That means: Cold food should be kept at 41 degrees F or less. Hot foods should be kept at 140 degrees F or higher. A cooler filled with ice will keep foods well chilled. Pack beverages in one cooler and perishables in another. Grilled food can be kept hot until served by moving it to the side of the rack, just away from the coals where it can overcook. But protecting yourself, your family and friends from food-borne illness and food contamination begins far in advance of slapping the meat on the grill. Be sure to follow these food preparation suggestions. Defrosting Completely thaw meat and poultry before grilling so it cooks evenly. Use the refrigerator for slow, safe thawing. Microwave-defrost only if the food will be placed on the grill immediately. Marinating Always marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter. If some of the marinade is to be used as a sauce on the cooked food, reserve a portion separately before adding the raw meat, poultry or seafood. Don't reuse marinade. Pre-cooking If you partially cook food in the microwave, oven or stove to reduce grilling time, do so only immediately before the food goes on the grill. Cooking Use a meat thermometer to eliminate guesswork. But if the meat thermometer did not get to the picnic site along with the can opener, look for signs that the food is done. When you cut into the food, juices should run clear. Hamburgers should be medium-well to well done and brown in the middle. Poultry should have no pink to it. Cross-contaminating Don't put cooked food back on the plates or pans that held raw meat or poultry. Serve the food right away. Food should not sit out for more than an hour and probably not more than 30 minutes in hot weather. Leftovers that have been off the grill for less than an hour can be taken home safely in a cooler filled with ice. Drain water from the ice chest regularly. Always follow good rules for good eating. And remember this rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture: When in doubt, throw it out. |
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Sandwich Chart
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