AgriLife Extension experts offer tips on grilling, food safety

Writer: Paul Schattenberg, 210-467-6575, paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu

Contact: Dr. Joyce Cavanagh 979-845-3859, jacavanagh@ag.tamu.edu

Dr. Jenna Anding, 979-847-9228, j-anding@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION – Summertime is prime time for grilling, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts have some advice about both fire and food safety.

“It’s extremely important that people take extra care if planning to grill outdoors, especially in open areas,” said Dr. Joyce Cavanagh, AgriLife Extension family development and resource management specialist in College Station.

Before making plans for a cookout in a public area, people should check to see if a burn ban may be in effect in their area, Cavanagh said.

“There can be some stiff fines for defying a burn ban,” she noted.  

Outdoor grilling fire safety tips offered by AgriLife Extension experts, the National Fire Protection Association and others are:

– Set up the grill on a concrete surface or on ground where grass and vegetation in the area are trimmed and where there are no dry leaves, brush, mulch piles or other combustibles in the vicinity.

– Place the grill in an open area away from deck railings, eaves and overhanging branches or other potentially combustible surfaces.

– If using a gas grill, check for leaks and make sure hose connections are tight.

– Set the grill at least 10 feet away from your house or building, and do not grill in a garage or under a carport or other surface that might catch fire.

– Keep young children and pets at least three feet from the grill.

– Remove any grease or fat buildup from the grill and/or in the trays below the grill.

— Keep charcoal fluid out of the reach of children and away from heat sources.

– Never leave the grill unattended once the fire has been lit.

– Do not attempt to move a hot grill.

– Keep a multi-purpose fire extinguisher within easy reach.

– Use flame-retardant mitts and grilling tools with long handles instead of household forks or short-handled tongs.

– When finished grilling, let the coals completely cool before disposing, and use a metal container for disposal.

– If using a propane grill, use extreme caution and always follow manufacturer recommendations for connecting or disconnecting the tank.

Along with fire safety, food safety is another important factor to consider when grilling or cooking outdoors, said Dr. Jenna Anding, AgriLife Extension program leader, food and nutrition, College Station.

To keep cookouts safe, it’s important to ensure a clean grilling workspace and safe food preparation, Anding said. It’s also important to maintain food quality and freshness by ensuring proper temperatures during storage and cooking.

“You need to begin by choosing meat, poultry or seafood that’s fresh and of high quality,” she said. “At the grocery store, select your meat last and get it home as soon as possible. If the trip from the grocery store to your home is more than a half-hour, take a cooler for your refrigerated items.”

Anding said poultry, fish, seafood or ground beef should be cooked or frozen within a day or two. Steaks or pork chops should be cooked or frozen within four to five days.

“Also, the safest way to thaw meat or poultry is by placing it in the refrigerator a day or two before you plan to cook it,” she added.  “You can also thaw in the microwave, but if you do, cook the food right away; don’t let it sit. However, some foods may not thaw out evenly and other parts of the food may be partially cooked, so it’s still better to let them thaw in the fridge.”

Regardless, she added, never thaw meats at room temperature as this may increase the number of germs related to foodborne illness.

Anding said if refrigerated food is being transported to another location for cooking, it should be kept at 40 degrees or colder, using a cooler and ice or ice packs, and “you should only take what you plan to cook and eat that day.”

She also said raw meat, poultry or seafood should be tightly wrapped or stored in a sealed bag or container, and kept in a different cooler than other foods.

“This will reduce the risk of cross-contamination,” she explained.

If you’re cooking away from home and not sure about a water source where you’re going, take your own water and paper towels or use anti-bacterial towelettes or hand sanitizer, she said. Be sure to wash hands before and after touching raw meat, poultry or seafood, making sure food preparation surfaces, cutting boards, grilling utensils and serving platters are washed and sanitized.

“Unwashed utensils and platters can still contaminate food, even if you’ve maintained proper food storage, preparation and cooking standards,” she said. “If you’ve placed raw meat or fish on a platter before grilling, do not use that same plate to serve the food unless it can be cleaned with hot, soapy water first.”

Anding said foods on a grill can brown quickly and look as though they are sufficiently cooked when they are not, so a food thermometer is the only way to ensure foods have been cooked to a safe internal temperature.

“Cook all poultry to 165 degrees, fully cooked meats like hot dogs to 165 degrees and hamburgers to 160 degrees.  Beef, pork, lamb, veal steaks, chops and roasts should be cooked to at least 145 degrees. For safety and quality, however, allow these foods to ‘rest’ for three minutes after removing them from the grill before serving.”

After cooking, she added, be sure to keep the food hot until it is served – at least 140 degrees — otherwise, eat or refrigerate it right away.

“Keep food covered and never let it sit out for more than two hours, and if the weather is 90 degrees or hotter, eat or store it within one hour,” she said. “We usually say more than two is bad for you, but when it’s this hot outside, that should be just one hour.”

For more information, go the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service fact  sheet at http://bit.ly/1oJW1qa.