How to Grill Safely

"What You Need to Know

• When handling raw meat, chicken and other poultry, and seafood
  • Separate it from other food
  • Refrigerate it before grilling
  • Wash your hands before and after handling it
  • Make sure its juices do not touch other food, utensils, and surfaces
  • Use a food thermometer to ensure it is cooked to a safe internal temperature
• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking

Food poisoning peaks in the summer months when warmer temperatures cause foodborne germs to flourish. Follow these steps for a safe and enjoyable grilling season.

Separate

When shopping, pick up meat, chicken and other poultry, and seafood last, right before checkout. Separate them from other food in your shopping cart and grocery bags. To avoid cross-contamination, put packages of raw meat and poultry into individual plastic bags.

Chill

Keep meat, poultry, and seafood refrigerated until ready to grill. When transporting, keep at 40°F or below in an insulated cooler.

Thaw & Marinate

Harmful germs can multiply quickly at room temperature. Thaw food safely in the refrigerator, cold water, or microwave. Always marinate food in the refrigerator no matter what kind of marinade you’re using. Never thaw or marinate meat, poultry, or seafood on the counter.

Clean

Wash your hands with soap before and after handling raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Wash work surfaces and utensils with hot, soapy water before and after cooking.

Check Your Grill and Tools

Use a moist cloth or paper towel to clean the grill surface before cooking. If you use a wire bristle brush, thoroughly inspect the grill’s surface before cooking. Wire bristles from grill cleaning brushes may dislodge and stick into food on the grill.

Don’t Cross-Contaminate

Throw out marinades and sauces that have touched raw meat juices, which can spread germs to cooked foods. Use clean utensils and a clean plate to remove cooked meat from the grill. Do not place cooked meat back on a plate that held raw meat.

Cook

Use a food thermometer to ensure meat is cooked hot enough to kill harmful germs. When smoking, keep temperatures inside the smoker at 225°F to 300°F to keep meat at a safe internal temperature while it cooks.

When grilling, cook to:

• 145°F—whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and veal (then allow the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving or eating)
• 145°F—fish (or cook until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork)
• 160°F—hamburgers and other ground beef
• 165°F—all poultry and pre-cooked meats, like hot dogs.."

 

Grill Safely 

How to Grill Safely

"What You Need to Know

• When handling raw meat, chicken, and seafood
  • Separate it from other food
  • Refrigerate it before grilling
  • Wash your hands before and after handling it
  • Make sure its juices do not touch other food, utensils, and surfaces
  • Use a food thermometer to ensure it is cooked to a safe temperature
• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking

Food poisoning peaks in the summer months when warmer temperatures cause foodborne germs to flourish. Follow these steps for a safe and enjoyable grilling season.

Separate

When shopping, pick up meat, poultry, and seafood last, right before checkout. Separate them from other food in your shopping cart and grocery bags. To guard against cross-contamination, put packages of raw meat and poultry into individual plastic bags.

Chill

Keep meat, poultry, and seafood refrigerated until ready to grill. When transporting, keep 40°F or below in an insulated cooler.

Clean

Wash your hands with soap before and after handling raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Wash work surfacesexternal icon, utensils, and the grill before and after cooking.

Check Your Grill and Tools

Use a moist cloth or paper towel to clean the grill surface before cooking. If you use a wire bristle brush, thoroughly inspect the grill’s surface before cooking. Wire bristles from grill cleaning brushes may dislodge and stick into food on the grill.

Don’t Cross-contaminate

Throw out marinades and sauces that have touched raw meat juices, which can spread germs to cooked foods. Use clean utensils and a clean plate to remove cooked meat from the grill.

Cook

Use a food thermometer to ensure meat is cooked hot enough to kill harmful germs. When smoking, keep temperatures inside the smoker at 225°F to 300°F to keep meat a safe temperature while it cooks.

When Grilling

• 145°F—whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and veal (stand-time of 3 minutes at this temperature)
• 145°F—fish
• 160°F—hamburgers and other ground beef
• 165°F—all poultry and pre-cooked meats, like hot dogs

After Grilling 

• 140°F or warmer—until it’s served

Refrigerate

Divide leftovers into small portions and place in covered, shallow containers. Put in freezer or fridgeexternal icon within 2 hours of cooking (1 hour if above 90°F outside)..."
Grilling 

Summer Grilling Food Safety Tips for Grill Masters and Rookies

"Families will once again commemorate Memorial Day with COVID-19 in mind. Keep your celebrations safe with CDC guidelines we’ve become accustomed to this past year.

We also have some important food safety tips for both first-time and experienced grill masters.

Know if Your Frozen Food is Raw

Grillers have the responsibility of delivering a safe and tasty meal. The convenience of ready to cook beef patties and chicken cutlets helps the process.

One important tip: know if your frozen food is raw.

Although frozen products may appear to be pre-cooked or browned, they need to be handled and prepared as raw food and cooked thoroughly. Frozen products labeled as “Cook and Serve,” “Ready to Cook” and “Oven Ready” must be cooked. Always use a food thermometer to check if your meal has reached a safe internal temperature:

• Beef, pork, lamb and veal (steaks, roasts and chops): 145 F with a three-minute rest time.
• Ground meats (beef, pork, lamb and veal): 160 F.
• Poultry (whole or ground): 165 F.

Use an appliance thermometer in your cooler to monitor that your pre-cooked food stays chilled at 40 F or below.

Thoroughly Cook Tenderized Meat

Experienced grillers love to get the most flavor out of their meat. However, mechanically tenderized meat, including cuts prepackaged in marinades, present different risks and must be cooked thoroughly.

If the outside is contaminated with bacteria, the inside meat will be as well once it is mechanically tenderized.

Ensure a safe barbecue by using a food thermometer! Don’t have a thermometer? Call us at the number below.

For more questions about food safety and for a free food thermometer, contact the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) to talk to a food safety expert or chat live at ask.usda.gov from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.."
Grilling