Barbecue and Food Safety

Cooking outdoors was once only a summer activity shared with family and friends. Now more than half of

Americans say they are cooking outdoors year round. So whether the snow is blowing or the sun is shining

brightly, it’s important to follow food safety guidelines to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying and causing

foodborne illness. Use these simple guidelines for grilling food safely.

From the Store: Home First

When shopping, buy cold food like meat and poultry

last, right before checkout. Separate raw meat and

poultry from other food in your shopping cart. To

guard against cross-contamination — which can

happen when raw meat or poultry juices drip on

other food — put packages of raw meat and poultry

into plastic bags.

Plan to drive directly home from the grocery store.

You may want to take a cooler with ice for

perishables. Always refrigerate perishable food

within 2 hours. Refrigerate within 1 hour when the

temperature is above 90 °F.

At home, place meat and poultry in the refrigerator

immediately. Freeze poultry and ground meat that

won’t be used in 1 or 2 days; freeze other meat

within 4 to 5 days.

Thaw Safely

Completely thaw meat and poultry before grilling so

it cooks more evenly. Use the refrigerator for slow,

safe thawing or thaw sealed packages in cold water.

For quicker thawing, you can microwave defrost if the

food will be placed immediately on the grill.

Marinating

A marinade is a savory, acidic sauce in which a food is

soaked to enrich its flavor or to tenderize it.

Marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter.

Poultry and cubed meat or stew meat can be

marinated up to 2 days. Beef, veal, pork, and lamb

roasts, chops, and steaks may be marinated up to 5

days. If some of the marinade is to be used as a

sauce on the cooked food, reserve a portion of the

marinade before putting raw meat and poultry in it.

However, if the marinade used on raw meat or

poultry is to be reused, make sure to let it come to a

boil first to destroy any harmful bacteria.

Transporting

When carrying food to another location, keep it cold

to minimize bacterial growth. Use an insulated cooler

with sufficient ice or ice packs to keep the food at

40 °F or below. Pack food right from the refrigerator

into the cooler immediately before leaving home.

Keep Cold Food Cold

Keep meat and poultry refrigerated until ready to

use. Only take out the meat and poultry that will

immediately be placed on the grill.

When using a cooler, keep it out of the direct sun by

placing it in the shade or shelter. Avoid opening the

lid too often, which lets cold air out and warm air in.

Pack beverages in one cooler and perishables in a

separate cooler.

Keep Everything Clean

Be sure there are plenty of clean utensils and

platters. To prevent foodborne illness, don’t use the

same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat

and poultry. Harmful bacteria present in raw meat

and poultry and their juices can contaminate safely

cooked food.

If you’re eating away from home, find out if there’s a

source of clean water. If not, bring water for

preparation and cleaning. Or pack clean cloths, and

moist towelettes for cleaning surfaces and hands.

Food Safety Information

United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

1-888-MPHotline

(1-888-674-6854)

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health

agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring

that the nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products

is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.

PhotoDisc
Precooking

Precooking food partially in the microwave, oven, or

stove is a good way of reducing grilling time. Just

make sure that the food goes immediately on the

preheated grill to complete cooking.

Cook Thoroughly

Cook food to a safe minimum internal temperature to

destroy harmful bacteria. Meat and poultry cooked

on a grill often browns very fast on the outside. Use

a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached

a safe minimum internal temperature.

MEATS

Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops,

and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of

145°F as measured with a food thermometer before

removing meat from the heat source. For safety and

quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes

before carving or consuming. For reasons of personal

preference, consumers may choose to cook meat to

higher temperatures.

GROUND MEATS

Cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal to an

internal temperature of 160°F as measured with a

food thermometer.

POULTRY

Cook all poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F as measured with a food thermometer.

NEVER partially grill meat or poultry and finish

cooking later.

SAFE MINIMUM INTERNAL

TEMPERATURES

· Whole poultry: 165 °F

· Poultry pieces: 165 °F

· Ground poultry: 165 °F

· Ground meats: 160 °F

· Beef, pork, lamb, and veal (steaks, roasts

and chops): 145 °F and allow to rest at

least 3 minutes.

Reheating

When reheating fully cooked meats like hot dogs,

grill to 165 °F or until steaming hot.

Keep Hot Food Hot

After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it

hot until served -- at 140 °F or warmer.

Keep cooked meats hot by setting them to the side

of the grill rack, not directly over the coals where

they could overcook. At home, the cooked meat can

be kept hot in an oven set at approximately 200 °F,

in a chafing dish or slow cooker, or on a warming tray.

Food Safety Information 2

Barbecue and Food Safety

Food Safety Information 2
Food Safety Questions?

Serving the Food

When taking food off the grill, use a clean platter.

Don’t put cooked food on the same platter that held

raw meat or poultry. Any harmful bacteria present in

the raw meat juices could contaminate safely cooked

food. In hot weather (above 90 °F), food should

never sit out for more than 1 hour.

Leftovers

Refrigerate any leftovers promptly in shallow

containers. Discard any food left out more than 2

hours (1 hour if temperatures are above 90 °F).

Safe Smoking

Smoking is cooking food indirectly in the presence of

a fire. It can be done in a covered grill if a pan of

water is placed beneath the meat or poultry on the

grill; and meats can be smoked in a “smoker,” which

is an outdoor cooker especially designed for smoking

foods. Smoking is done much more slowly than

grilling, so less tender meats benefit from this

method, and a natural smoke flavoring permeates

the meat. The temperature in the smoker should be

maintained at 250 to 300 °F for safety.

Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has

reached a safe internal temperature.

Pit Roasting

Pit roasting is cooking meat in a large, level hole dug

in the earth. A hardwood fire is built in the pit,

requiring wood equal to about 2 1/2 times the volume of the pit. The hardwood is allowed to burn until

REMEMBER!

Always refrigerate perishable food within 2

hours. Refrigerate within 1 hour when the

temperature is above 90 °F.

the wood reduces and the pit is half filled with burning

coals. This can require 4 to 6 hours burning time.

Cooking may require 10 to 12 hours or more and is

difficult to estimate. A food thermometer must be

used to determine the meat’s safety and doneness.

There are many variables such as outdoor

temperature, the size and thickness of the meat, and

how fast the coals are cooking.

Does Grilling Pose a Cancer Risk?

Some studies suggest there may be a cancer risk

related to eating food cooked by high-heat cooking

techniques as grilling, frying, and broiling. Based on

present research findings, eating moderate amounts

of grilled meats like fish, meat, and poultry cooked —

without charring — to a safe temperature does not

pose a problem.

To prevent charring, remove visible fat that can

cause a flare-up. Precook meat in the microwave

immediately before placing it on the grill to release

some of the juices that can drop on coals. Cook food

in the center of the grill and move coals to the side

to prevent fat and juices from dripping on them. Cut

charred portions off the meat.

Barbecue and Food Safety

The USDA is an equal opportunity

 provider and employer.

Revised May 2011

FSIS encourages the reprint and distribution of this publication for food safety

purposes. However, the included image from PhotoDisc, used under license, is

protected by the copyright laws of the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere, and may

not be saved or downloaded except for printing of this publication.

Call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

Send E-mail questions to MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov.

Ask Karen!

FSIS’ automated response

system can provide food safety

information

24/7 and a

live chat

during

Hotline

hours.

If you have a question

about meat, poultry,

or egg products, call

the USDA Meat and

Poultry Hotline

toll free at

1-888-MPHotline

(1-888-674-6854)

The hotline is open

year-round

 Monday through Friday from 10

a.m. to 4 p.m. ET (English

or Spanish).

Recorded food safety

messages are available

24 hours a day. Check

out the

FSIS Web site at

www.fsis.usda.gov. AskKaren.gov

PregunteleaKaren.gov