Cooking safely outdoors presents challenge

July 5, 1996
Web posted at: 7:20 a.m. EDT

From Correspondent Carolyn O'Neil

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The Fourth of July weekend signals that summer's in full swing as millions of Americans celebrate with fireworks and cookouts. But whether you're flipping fish or burgers, summer is no time to relax when it comes to food safety.

It's not clear whether picnicking and backyard cookouts are to blame, but according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there is usually an increase in cases of food-borne illnesses between May and September.

Here are some timely tips to keep summer foods safe:

• Make sure ground beef is thoroughly cooked; undercooked hamburger can be a source of the deadly bacterium E. coli.

• It's okay to grill steaks medium or even medium rare, with undercooked meat on the inside. It's the surface of the meat that can be contaminated with bacteria, and the surface gets thoroughly cooked when it is seared on the grill, says Buford Mays of Publix supermarket.

• Chicken, on the other hand, should be thoroughly cooked until juices run clear, and the National Pork Producers Council recommends using a meat thermometer to make sure pork is cooked to a temperature of at least 155 degrees.

• Another word of caution -- bacteria multiply rapidly in temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

So, summertime or any time, if hot foods are kept hot, and cold foods cold, food safety problems won't ruin the fun.

Related sites:

• National Pork Producers Council
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• Yumyum.com

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