Dear Residents,
It’s Memorial Day weekend, and with that, the unofficial kickoff of summer! Safe food handling is essential as we head into the season of outdoor picnics and barbecues. Foods like poultry, seafood, and egg products can grow bacteria and other pathogens and cause foodborne illness.
Follow these suggestions from the Partnership for Food Safety Education to Fight BAC!® (foodborne bacteria) and reduce the risk of foodborne illness:
#1: Wash, Wash, Wash Your Hands. Always wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food. Sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat twice to understand how long you should wash. If soap and water are unavailable, the CDC recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol to reduce the number of germs on your hands.
#2: Marinating Mandate. Always marinate food in the refrigerator. Don’t use sauce used to marinate raw meat or poultry on cooked food. Reserve a part of the unused marinade to use as a sauce.
#3: Hot, Hot, Hot. Always preheat the coals on your grill for 20 to 30 minutes or until the coals are lightly coated with ash.
#4: Temperature Gauge. Use a food thermometer to ensure that food has a safe internal temperature. Refer to this handy guide for details.
#5: Where’s the Beef? Chicken and Fish? Cook hamburgers to 160 ºF,. Larger cuts of beef such as roasts and steaks may be cooked to 145 ºF for medium rare or to 160 ºF for medium. Poultry must reach a temperature of 165 °F. Fish should be opaque and flake easily.
#6: Stay Away from that Same Old Plate. When taking foods off the grill, always use a new plate. Never put cooked food items back on the same plate unless you’ve washed it in hot, soapy water. In hot weather (above 90°F), foods should never sit out for more than one hour before being refrigerated.
#7: Icebox Etiquette. A full cooler will maintain its cold temperatures longer than a partially filled one. Pack plenty of extra ice or freezer packs to ensure a constant cold temperature. Keep the cooler out of the direct sun. Keep drinks in a separate cooler from food. The beverage cooler will be opened frequently while the food cooler stays cold.
We wish you a safe holiday weekend!
NWBRHC Staff
