Safely Enjoy Summer Barbecues

This summer, you may enjoy some great outdoor picnics and barbecues. The festive mood, however, should never allow you to let your guard down when it comes to safe food handling and grilling practices.

Safety always begins and ends with basic cleanliness. “Safety always starts with hand washing, and access to soap and water at the park is not usually an option,” says Mary Ann Jackson, MD, chief of the Infectious Diseases Section at Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics.

Alcohol-based hand hygiene products are a necessity away from home, so be sure all food handlers use them. “Make sure to rub the alcohol based products into all parts of the hand, and let your hands dry,” says Dr. Jackson. “Use it before and during food handling, especially if you’re handling raw meat.”

Also, sanitize food preparation surfaces, and make sure there are enough clean plates and utensils on hand to handle raw and cooked foods separately.

Other safety tips to keep in mind at your next barbecue:

• Before grilling, thaw foods completely for even and thorough cooking.
• Never reuse sauces and marinades that come into contact with raw meat, and never reuse a brush to apply sauces to cooked foods that had been used to baste raw meat.
• Always use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of cooked foods.
• Pack your cooler last and keep beverages separate from perishables. Wrap foods securely to avoid cross-contamination.
• Do not take home any leftovers.
• Do not include dairy products at your picnic.
• Keep food and utensils covered until serving since flies, insects, and household pets can carry salmonella.
• Never let children play near a hot barbecue grill, and never leave the grill unattended.
• Keep starter fluid and matches out of reach of children and away from open flames. Never squirt starter fluid onto smoldering charcoal.
• Keep flame-proof mitts, long-handled utensils, and a squirt bottle filled with water close at hand.

And finally, always remember the Two-Hour Rule: food should not be left off the grill or out of the cooler for more than two hours (one hour when the outside temperature is above 90 degrees). Avoid eating any foods that violate this rule.