Star-Spangled Grilling and Smoking Food Safety Practices Everyone Needs to Know
June 27 2024 - 9:35AM
WASHINGTON, June 27, 2024 – On July Fourth, the aroma of
barbecue will fill the air as the festivities bring together family
and friends to celebrate with quintessential American cooking
pastimes: grilling and smoking. Food is the biggest staple when it
comes to celebrating Independence Day, aside from the fireworks.
Whether you’re sizzling burgers on the grill or slow-cooking ribs
in the smoker, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food
Safety and Inspection Service is urging everyone to take food
safety precautions during food preparations.
“Fourth of July is a great time to use the grill and smoker to
cook delicious meats and poultry,” said Under Secretary for Food
Safety Dr. Emilio Esteban. “Whichever method you use, reduce your
risk of foodborne illness by using a food thermometer to measure
the safe minimum internal temperature, and reduce
cross-contamination by using separate utensils for raw and cooked
meat and poultry.”
Here are grilling and smoking food safety tips to keep in mind
during your celebratory cookout:
Thaw meat or poultry first. Smoking uses low temperatures
to cook food, and frozen food would take too long to reach a safe
internal temperature before bacteria can start to multiply. Frozen
foods can be grilled safely, but they will take longer and may cook
unevenly.
Marinate in the refrigerator. Marinating tenderizes and
flavors meat and poultry before grilling and smoking. Always
marinate in the refrigerator and NOT on the counter. If basting
meat and poultry during grilling or smoking, and you want to use
some of the marinade as a sauce, you should put aside a portion of
the marinade that has not been in contact with the raw meat or
poultry. If using a marinade that has already been used on raw meat
or poultry, boil first to destroy harmful bacteria.
Keep raw meat and poultry separate. Use different cutting
boards and utensils for raw meats and poultry and food that is
fully cooked or is ready to eat to avoid cross-contamination with
bacteria.
Keep the smoker and grill at a safe temperature. If you
are using a smoker or grill to smoke meats, you will need two types
of thermometers: one for the food to determine safe internal
temperature and an oven-safe thermometer to monitor that the air
temperature in the smoker or grill stays between 225 and 300 F
throughout the cooking process.
Cook meats to a safe internal temperature as measured by a
food thermometer.
- Cook all raw beef,
pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal
temperature of 145 F before removing meat from the heat source. For
safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes
before carving or consuming.
- Cook all raw ground
beef, pork, lamb, and veal to an internal temperature of 160
F.
- Cook all poultry to
a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 F.
If you have food safety questions, call the USDA Meat and
Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854), email
MPHotline@usda.gov or chat live at www.ask.usda.gov 10 a.m. to 6
p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
Access news releases and other information at USDA’s Food Safety
and Inspection Service’s (FSIS) website at
www.fsis.usda.gov/newsroom. Follow FSIS on X at @usdafoodsafety or
in Spanish at X @usdafoodsafety_es and USDA on Instagram at
@usdagov and Facebook.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many
positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is
transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more
resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for
all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food
in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for
farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry
practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean
energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity
across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a
workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit
www.usda.gov.
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- Star-Spangled Grilling and Smoking Food Safety Practices
Everyone Needs to Know
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Everyone Needs to Know
USDA FSIS
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
press@fsis.usda.gov