Grilling is a great way to help keep the kitchen cool during the summer months and yet prepare delicious meals. Here are some quick reminders to keep the food you grill safe.
- Cold food colds until ready to grill. Bacteria grows rapidly at room temperature, so meat should remain in the refrigerator until ready to grill. Marinating should be done in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. If grilling will be done away from home, make sure to transport meat and other cold foods in a cooler with some ice. The goal is to keep meat at refrigerator temperature.
- Do not reuse the plate that was used to take the meat to the grill. Juices from raw meat and poultry are high in bacteria and could contaminate the cooked meat.
- Use two cutting boards. One for preparing meat. One for chopping vegetables.
- Color is not an indicator of doneness. Recent USDA research studies indicate that some ground beef may turn brown before it has reached a safe internal temperature of 160°F. The only safe way to determine if food is done is to use a food thermometer. An instant-read thermometer takes the guess work out of grilling.
- Avoid partially cooking meat. If you must cook ahead, cook the food completely, cool it quickly in the refrigerator in shallow containers, and reheat it on the grill.
- Know these safe internal minimum temperatures measured by a food thermometer as determined by the USDA. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook food to higher temperatures.
| Category | Food | Temperature (F) |
|---|---|---|
| Ground meat and meat mixtures | Beef, pork, veal, lamb | 160 |
| Turkey, chicken | 165 | |
| Fresh beef, veal, and lamb | Steaks, roasts, chops | 145 |
| Poultry (turkey, chicken, duck, goose) | Whole poultry, breast, thighs, legs | 165 |
| Pork and ham | Fresh pork and ham | 145 |
| Precooked ham (to reheat) | 140 | |
| Seafood | Fin fish | 145 or until flesh is opaque and flakes with a fork |
| Shrimp, lobster, crab | Cook until flesh is pearly and opaque | |
| Clams, oysters, mussels | Cook until shells open during cooking | |
| Scallops | Cook until flesh is milky white, opaque, firm |
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
So get out there and enjoy your grill, knowing that you are doing all you can to keep your food safe.
Updated 4/2024, mg.
