Tom Vilsack Secretary of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) | Official Website
WASHINGTON, June 27, 2024 – On July Fourth, the aroma of barbecue will fill the air as festivities bring together family and friends to celebrate with quintessential American cooking pastimes: grilling and smoking. Food is a significant staple when it comes to celebrating Independence Day, aside from the fireworks. Whether 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 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, not on the counter. If basting meat and poultry during grilling or smoking, set aside a portion of the marinade that has not been in contact with raw meat or poultry. If using a marinade that has already been used on raw meat or poultry, boil it first to destroy harmful bacteria.
- Keep raw meat and poultry separate. Use different cutting boards and utensils for raw meats/poultry versus fully cooked or ready-to-eat foods to avoid cross-contamination with bacteria.
- Keep the smoker and grill at a safe temperature. When using a smoker or grill to smoke meats, use two types of thermometers: one for measuring safe internal temperature of food, another oven-safe thermometer for monitoring air temperature in the smoker/grill (between 225 F - 300 F).
Cook meats to a safe internal temperature as measured by a food thermometer:
- Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb, veal steaks/chops/roasts to at least 145 F before removing from heat source; allow resting for three minutes before carving/consuming.
- Cook all raw ground beef/pork/lamb/veal to an internal temperature of 160 F.
- Cook all poultry to at least 165 F.
For any food safety questions, contact 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 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Access news releases/information at USDA’s Food Safety & Inspection Service’s website www.fsis.usda.gov/newsroom; follow FSIS on X @usdafoodsafety (or Spanish @usdafoodsafety_es), USDA on Instagram @usdagov & Facebook.
USDA impacts American lives daily positively under Biden-Harris Administration's efforts towards transforming America’s food system focusing on resilient local/regional production; fairer markets; ensuring access to safe/nutritious foods across communities; creating new income streams via climate-smart practices; historic investments in rural infrastructure/clean energy; committing equity across Department by removing systemic barriers/building representative workforce.
To learn more visit www.usda.gov
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