Basic Grill and Food Handling Safety

You think you are being safety conscious with your food, grilling tools, grills, tools and cooking surfaces but are you really?  Take a look at some of these guidelines for grilling safely and decide for yourself.

Is your kitchen as clean as it should and can be?  Food safety and preventing contamination should be a number one priority each and every day in your home. Food borne illnesses send countless numbers of people to hospital emergency room every year. Many of these can be prevented with proper cleanliness and care.

Take a look at your countertop and then clean it with antibacterial spray and clean paper towels.  Wipe down the countertop and surrounding areas.  By doing this you at least are starting with a clean and fresh working surface.

Now, that you have a clean working surface here are the next steps:

• Wash your hands thoroughly before you touch any food.
• Make sure your utensils, cutting boards, and other kitchenware are clean.
• Wash your fruits and vegetables under running water before starting to prepare them for cooking.
• When you are finished with one food, wash the utensils and cutting boards before starting on your next food item.
• Wash your hands every time you change food items.
• Do not thaw meat or poultry on the countertop. Thaw it in the refrigerator or defrost it in the microwave just before cooking.
• Run all meat and poultry under cold running water before prepping.
• Cut or prepare meat and poultry with clean just washed utensils.
• Do not marinate meat on the counter; put it back in the refrigerator while marinating.
• Wash all kitchen tools that touch raw meat in hot, soapy water.
• When finished prepping food clean all countertops again with antibacterial products.

Grill Thoroughly

Grilling food properly will kill certain bacteria and prevent potential foodborne illnesses. When cooking your food, make sure that you:

• Thoroughly grill all meat and poultry to the bone, using a meat thermometer to make sure internal temperature requirements are met.
• When grilling  fish, make sure it is cooked until fish is flaky and no longer translucent.
• After transferring raw meat to the grill, thoroughly wash the dish. Do not use the same plate or platter for raw and cooked meat without washing it.
• Serve food immediately and do not let it sit out at room temperature.

Grill Cleanup

• Any leftovers should immediately be placed back in the refrigerator.
• Clean the grill with a sturdy grill brush to remove any food or sauce stuck to the grill.
• Clean up all surfaces prior to leaving the kitchen or outdoor area after the meal.

With these simple steps you can greatly reduce your risk of illness and enjoy a happy and healthy grilling experience.