Extension Connection

It's Time for Grilling Safety
By Janet Hackert, Nutrition Specialist     

Some think of Memorial Day as the opening of grilling season! Summer is a great time to keep the heat out of the kitchen by grilling safely outside.

Here are some tips to address the most common concerns in grilling safety.

First, marinate meat in the refrigerator and treat the used marinade as you would the raw meat juices it contains. That means be sure to boil it if it is to be used as a sauce.

Next, be sure to avoid cross-contamination when grilling. Raw meat juices can contain microorganisms that cause flu-like symptoms if eaten. Keep vegetables and cooked meat separate from raw and undercooked meat or meat juices on cutting boards, platters, and cooking and serving utensils. It means extra dishes or washing them in between, but it is worth keeping family and guests from getting sick from food borne illness.

As always, meat must be cooked to the proper internal temperature when grilling too. For beef, veal and lamb steaks, roasts and chops, cook to 145°Fahrenheit or higher. For all cuts of pork, grill to 160°F or more. Ground beef, veal and lamb should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 160°F. And all poultry should have an internal temperature of at least 165°F. Use a meat thermometer to check internal food temperatures, making sure the sensor is in the middle of the thickest part of the meat. Be careful that it doesn’t touch bone or peek out the other side of the meat.

On a cool day, perishable items, like the meat off the grill, should be eaten or refrigerated within 2 hours to be safe as leftovers. On a hot day, 90°F or above, that time in the Food Safety Danger Zone (between 40-140°F) is reduced to just one hour off the grill and not in the fridge.

These are just the basics of grilling safety. For more information you can contact me during regular working hours. If you have a question in the off-hours, like on a weekend, the USDA has a Meat and Poultry Hotline with recorded answers to many of the questions that commonly arise. That toll-free number is 1-888-MPHOTLINE or 1-888-674-6854.

 (Written May 22, 2009)

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Extension Connection Barb Ubben, Web Manager harrisonco@missouri.edu Last revised: 05/25/04