Fourth of July cookout: Here are some food, grilling safety tips

With the Fourth of July one week away, it’s important to remember to prioritize food safety while cooking and grilling outdoors to prevent foodborne illness.

Here are some safety tips from Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association:

Grilling safety

• Clean your grill - Grills accumulate food residue, grease and charred bits from previous cooking sessions that can become breeding grounds for mold and bacteria. Cleaning your grill helps remove these substances, and helps prevent cross-contamination.
• Preheat your grill - Allow your grill to preheat for at least 20 minutes before placing food on it to help kill bacteria on grill grates, and ensure your food is cooked thoroughly.
• Prevent cross-contamination - Always use separate utensils for raw and cooked foods. Never reuse marinades that had contact with raw meat. Cook meats at least to their recommended internal temperatures: 145 degrees for steaks, chops and roasts, 160 degrees for ground meats, and 165 degrees for poultry.

Outdoor cooking safety

• Keep it chilled - Use a cooler with ice packs or frozen-gel packs when packing perishable food items, and discard any leftovers when the cooler no longer has ice. Keep coolers in shaded areas.
• Cook over a controlled flame - This will help cook food evenly, and reduce the risk of burning or undercooking.
• Use safe water sources - Never drink or cook with water from lakes or streams. Bring bottled or tap water from a safe source instead.

General cooking safety

• Plan ahead - Plan your meals and make a check list of all the items you need before cooking. This can help minimize the risk of forgetting safety items and tips.
• Hand hygiene - Before and after handling food, wash your hands for a full 20 seconds with soap and water. If soap and water is not available, use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
• Separate and store - Keep raw meats and poultry separate from other foods to prevent cross-contamination. Also use separate cutting boards, utensils for raw and cooked food. Always store raw meats in sealed containers or plastic bags to prevent their juices from coming into contact with other food.
• Temperature Control - Always use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry and seafood, and always cook meats to their recommended internal temperature.