ANKENY, Iowa — If you’re planning a barbecue this summer, you’ll likely be dining outside. Keep your family safe this summer by following the USDA’s four simple safety steps: clean, separate, cook and chill.
Clean – wash your hands, utensils and surfaces frequently to stop the spread of germs.
Separate – Keep raw meat below ready to eat foods in the refrigerator and always use separate cutting boards and utensils.
Cook – use a food thermometer and keep hot foods above 140⁰F. Always reheat leftovers in the microwave to 165⁰F.
Chill – Refrigerate perishables within two hours. If it’s above 90⁰F, cut that time down to an hour – bacteria can grow even faster when it’s hot! For more information on food safety, visit this website.
· Caution foods
- Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs, cooked rice, cooked pasta, prepared salads (coleslaw, potato salad, rice salad), prepared fruit salads
- Mayo – usually touted as unsafe. Commercially prepared mayo has a lower pH, which helps fight bacteria. Homemade mayo is often made with unpasteurized eggs and nothing added to fight again bacteria
- Meats tend to be very dangerous – these are often what is contaminated in salads like potato or ham salad
Be especially careful!! Pack in ice filled cooler
· 1 hour rule if over 90 degrees F
· 2 hour rule if less than 90 degrees F