HONOLULU (KHON2) — Grilling is a big part of summer in Hawaiʻi, especially during the 4th of July. Many people love gathering with friends and family to enjoy tasty burgers, hot dogs, fish and even grilled fruits.
But grilling can be dangerous if you’re not careful.
You can get hurt or sick if food isn’t handled properly, or if a fire starts. To stay safe, follow these grilling and BBQ safety tips from the USDA, CDC and the government’s food safety division.
1. Before you start: Clean and prepare
- Wash your hands: Always wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling raw meat, chicken or seafood. This helps stop germs from spreading.
- Clean your grill: Before cooking, scrub your grill with a brush or a ball of aluminum foil. This removes leftover grease and food that could cause a fire.
- Wash fruits and vegetables: Rinse all fruits and vegetables under clean, running water. Use a brush on firm items like melons or zucchini. Dry them with a clean cloth or paper towel.
- Never wash meat or poultry: Washing raw meat spreads bacteria around your kitchen or grilling area. Cooking it properly will kill the germs.
2. While cooking: Stay safe around food and fire
- Keep raw and cooked foods separate: Use different plates, utensils, and cutting boards for raw and cooked food. Don’t place cooked burgers or chicken back on the same plate you used for raw meat.
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- Use a food thermometer: Grill marks don’t mean food is fully cooked. Use a food thermometer to check the inside temperature:
- Beef, pork, lamb: 145°F (with 3-minute rest).
- Ground meats: 160°F.
- Chicken and turkey: 165°F.
- Fish: 145°F.
- Put the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat or the center of a burger to get an accurate reading.
- Cook frozen foods thoroughly: Even if frozen food looks cooked, treat it like raw meat. Cook it all the way through before eating.
- Marinate safely: Only use marinades on raw food once. Don’t reuse the marinade as a sauce unless you boil it first to kill any germs.
3. Stay cool and store food right
- Watch the temperature: Bacteria grow fast between 40°F and 140°F, also called the “Danger Zone”. Keep cold food in a cooler with ice or frozen packs. Use a thermometer to check that it stays below 40°F.
- Eat food soon: Don’t leave food out for more than two hours or only one hour if it’s 90°F or hotter outside. After that, bacteria can grow quickly and make you sick.
- Store leftovers properly: Put leftovers in shallow containers and store them in the fridge or cooler right away. Don’t wait until the end of the party.
4. Fire safety tips for grilling
- Grill outdoors only: Never use a grill inside your home, garage or under a porch. Use it in an open area, away from your house, walls or anything that can catch fire.
- Keep keiki and pets away: Make a “grill zone” of at least three feet. Only adults should be near the hot grill.
- Don’t leave the grill unattended: Always keep an eye on your grill when it’s in use. Fires can start in seconds if no one is watching.
- Cool charcoal safely: If you’re using a charcoal grill, let the coals cool down completely. Then put them in a metal can with a lid.
5. When in doubt, ask for help
- If you have questions about grilling safely, all the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854 or visit this site.
- For help with other foods, you can call the FDA at 1-888-723-3366.
- You can also click here for the CDC’s guidance on food safety.
- And click here for the food safety division.
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