Stay safe when cooking outside

Published 7:04 pm Wednesday, May 23, 2007

By Staff
All across our nation, people from pre-K through college are preparing for graduation exercises. We would like to extend our hearty congratulations to all graduates as you commence on a new adventure. We wish you the best in your many endeavors whether it's furthering your education or a new career.
Barbecue Food Safety
School will soon be out and the living will be easy, relaxed, with time to enjoy cooking outdoors. Cooking outdoors or barbecuing, was once only a summer activity shared with family and friends. Now more than half of Americans say they are cooking outdoors year round.
So whether the snow is blowing or the sun is shining brightly, it's important to follow food safety guidelines to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying and causing foodborne illness. Use these simple guidelines for grilling food safely.
From the Store: Home First
When shopping, buy cold food like meat and poultry last, right before checkout. Separate raw meat and poultry from other food in your shopping cart. To guard against cross-contamination - this can happen when raw meat or poultry juices drip on other food - put packages of raw meat and poultry into plastic bags.
Plan to drive directly home from the grocery store. You may want to take a cooler with ice for perishables. Always refrigerate perishable food within two hours. Refrigerate within one hour when the temperature is above 90

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