In anticipation of Fourth of July cookouts Tuesday, the DuPage County Health Department offers these tips for a safe grilling experience.
Separate raw meats from other food items when shopping for and preparing meals.
Use a moist cloth or paper towel to wipe down any work surfaces where raw meat or poultry has touched as well as the grill.
Avoid cross contamination by placing cooked food on a clean plate and tossing out marinade that has been used on raw meat.
Use a meat thermometer to monitor internal temperatures and avoid food-borne germs. Beef, pork, lamb, veal and fish should be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, ground meat to 160 degrees Fahrenheit and poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, according the Centers for Disease Control.
The most common symptoms of food poisoning are diarrhea, stomach pain, cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever.
According to the health department, cases of food poisoning peak in the summer months.
“Warmer temperatures (outside) cause food-borne germs to flourish; don’t let a food-borne illness ruin your summer fun,” health department officials said in the release.
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