From Baptist Health South Florida
Life
2 min. read
Written By: Muriel Sommers
Published: July 2, 2020
Written By: Muriel Sommers
Published: July 2, 2020
During the long 4th of July holiday and throughout the summer, grilling food safely should be of concern for families in South Florida. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), foodborne illnesses, also known as food poisoning, seems to increase during this time. The two main reasons are that bacteria multiplies faster in warmer weather and second, it is difficult to prepare food safely when you prepare it outside.
It is important to take extra precautions when preparingperishable foods such as meat, poultry, seafood and egg products on the grill. Warmweather provides a perfect environment for bacteria and other pathogens in foodto multiply rapidly and cause food-borne illness.
It is not only meats you have to worry about, occasionallyraw fruits and vegetables contain harmful germs, such as Salmonellaand E. coli,which can make you and your family sick. Nearly half offoodborne illnesses in the U.S. are caused by germs on fresh produce, accordingto the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). The safestproduce is cooked; the next safest is washed, the CDC states.
Always wash or scrub fruits and vegetables under runningwater — even if you do not plan to eat the peel —so dirt and germs on thesurface do not get inside when you cut, the CDC states. Cut away any damaged orbruised areas before preparing or eating.
Here are more helpful grilling tips (also see infographic from the CDC below):
Before the barbecue:
At the Grill:
August 21, 2020
3 min. read