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1 / FDA Consumer Hea l th In fo rmat ion / U . S . Food and D rug Admin i s t r a t i on JUNE 2010

Consumer Health Informationwww.fda.gov/consumer 

“Fortunately, there are a lot of stepsconsumers can take to keep familyand friends from becoming ill,” saysMarjorie Davidson, Ph.D., educationteam leader in FDA’s Center for FoodSafety and Applied Nutrition.

Wash hands.

It seems basic, but not everyonedoes it. Wash hands well and often wit h soap and wate r for at leas t20 seconds, especially after usingthe bathroom and before cookingor eating. If you’re in an outdoorsetting with no bathroom, use a water jug , some soap, and papertowels. Consider carrying moistdisposable towelettes for cleaning your hands.

Keep raw food separate from cooked

food.

Don’t use a plate that previously heldraw meat, poultry, or seafood foranything else unless the plate hasfirst been washed in hot, soapy water.Keep utensils and surfaces clean.

Marinate food in the refrigerator,

not out on the counter.

 And if you want to use some of themarinade as a sauce on the cooked

Barbecue Basics:Tips to PreventFoodborne Illness

It’s the season for picnics, cookouts, and other outdoor

parties. But eating outdoors in warm weather presents

a food safety challenge. Bacteria in food multiply faster

at temperatures between 40°F and 140°F, so summer heat

makes the basics of food safety especially important.

food, reserve a separate portion.Don’t reuse marinade that containedraw meat.

Cook food thoroughly.

 To kill any harmful bacteria that maybe present, use a food thermometer.Hamburgers should be cookedto 160°F. If a thermometer is notavailable, make sure hamburgersare brown all the way through, notpink. Chicken should be cookedto at least 165°F. If you partiallycook food in the microwave, oven orstove to reduce grilling time, do soimmediately before the food goes onthe hot grill.

Refrigerate and freeze food

promptly.

It can be hard to remember while aparty is going on, but food shouldnot be left out of the cooler or off thegrill for more than two hours. Neverleave food out for more than one hour when the temperature is above 90°F.

Keep hot food hot.

Hot food should be kept at or above140°F. Hot food should be wrapped well and placed in an insulatedcontainer. If bringing hot take-out

food such as fried chicken or barbecueto an outdoor party, eat it within twohours of purchase. In addition tobringing a grill and fuel for cookingto an outdoor location, remember topack a food thermometer to checkthat your meat and poultry reacha safe internal temperature. Whenre-heating food at the outing, be sureit reaches 165°F.

Keep cold food cold.

Cold food should be held at orbelow 40°F. Foods like chicken saladand desserts that are in individualserving dishes can be placed directlyon ice or in a shallow container setin a deep pan filled with ice. Drainoff water as ice melts and replace icefrequently.

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