Summertime Grilling and Picnic Safety
Tips for a Safer Cookout, Barbecue or Picnic in the Park
May 27, 2009
Warm weather brings out the backyard chefs and the smell of delicious food on the grill -- or picnics in the park. But food-borne illness can ruin a truly great cookout or picnic worse than a rainstorm in the forecast. And some studies indicate that grilling meat the wrong way raises your risk of cancer. How do you make sure you're grilling or picnicking safely?
Food-borne illness is very common in the summer because bacteria multiply rapidly when food is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. And there are other factors that contribute to summertime food poisoning, such as the mistaken belief that grilling will kill off the bacteria.
Minimize the Risk of Food-borne Illnesses at Cookouts and Picnics
Safe cookouts and picnics start with planning, whether the meal is at home or away from home. But eating away from home takes a little more planning. The following cooler-packing tips and cleanup supplies help fight the spread of harmful bacteria:
- If grilling at a park or campsite, pack raw meat in the bottom of the cooler where it will stay colder.
- Thoroughly chill any foods cooked ahead of time, such as cold fried chicken -- just because it's cooked doesn't mean bacteria won't grow in it.
- Before cooking and/or eating, wash hands or use antibacterial wipes on your hands.
- When grilling or eating a picnic at a park, take along garbage bags, baby wipes or disinfecting wipes (or damp washcloths in plastic bags) and paper towels close at hand -- keeping your work area clean also reduces the risk of harmful bacteria.
- Keep drinks in a separate cooler.
- Make sure coolers stay cool: keep them inside the car or place them in the shade instead of in direct sunlight.
- Pack condiments like ketchup, mustard and mayo in small containers.
- Keep foods made with mayonnaise cold as much as possible -- perhaps even stick them in the freezer for a while before packing them in the cooler.
General Safe Grilling Tips
- When grilling, take out only what you will need immediately -- don't leave food out unnecessarily either before or after it is cooked.
- Never reuse marinades that have touched raw meat.
- Bring a fresh platter or clean foil pan to place cooked meat in -- not the one you used to bring the raw meat out to the grill.
- A cooler can be used to keep foods hot -- just line it with a towel and keep it closed.
Making Grilled Meat Safer to Eat: Reducing Carcinogens
The New York Times’ “Well Blog” documented the link between grilling and cancer-causing chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs (created when fat drippings from the meat start to burn), and heterocyclic amines, or HCAs (which result from chemical reactions in the meat). The longer your meat is on the grill and the hotter it becomes, the more carcinogens it will contain. So reduce the cancer-causing chemicals by:
- Microwaving the food a little first so it won’t need to be grilled as long.
- Using a marinade, which lowers the heat so there are fewer HCAs in the meat.
- Avoiding “well-done” meats – choose medium or rare.
Safe Food Storage after the Barbecue
Grilled food should be eaten or safely stored within an hour of cooking, and salads should be put away promptly after the meal – especially those with mayonnaise. For more ways to keep food fresh and safe to eat (and stretch your food budget), see Food Storage Safety Tips.
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