06/27/07 Getting Ready To Barbeque

Getting Ready to Barbeque. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Summer is the season for picnics, barbecues, and camping. With a little common sense and vigilance by the cook, summertime foods can be safe as well as delicious. A few simple rules about food handling, preparation, and storage will help make the summer a lot safer and more enjoyable, according to Ron McKay of the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Division. MC KAY: This is the time of year when we've got picnics, barbecues, outside events when the person doing the cooking is not the normal person doing meal preparations. So we want to give a few reminders for those people who are doing that kind of work to avoid cross-contamination, cook the food thoroughly. Barbecued hamburger should be cooked until the pink is gone, chicken should be checked by cutting near the bone to make sure there is no red or blood present. Meats aren't the only foods of concern during the summer. Picnic favorites like salads, condiments, and other ready-to-eat products need to be kept cold until serving. That means a good ice chest when away from the home. Also, don't let the food sit out too long. MC KAY: Generally, what we look at is about two hours. Anything that goes longer than two hours and isn't cooled down to 41 degrees, should be thrown away. Hand washing and the use of clean utensils and platters even a different set to handle raw meat products will also help keep outdoor foods safe this summer. Mc Kay says preparation of summer food favorites like hamburgers, steak, and chicken, is very important. Raw meats need to be cooked thoroughly. That is best done using a thermometer. MC KAY: If you don't have a thermometer, you should cut into the meat to make sure it is cooked thoroughly all the way through. With a chicken, you should cut down next to the bone to see there is no red. You can also look to see that the juices that are flowing are clear. Mc Kay says cutting boards, knives, and other cooking utensils need to be washed thoroughly or replaced when moving from meat to ready-to-eat foods. MC KAY: We're trying to avoid cross-contamination between raw meats and ready-to-eat foods. Those might be salad items or anything else that doesn't require any cooking. There are a number of websites out there have not only good recipes but more information on how to cook and handle summertime cookout foods and of course you can always give a quick call to your local health department. They are always happy to answer your questions. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.