GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The 4th of July weekend comes along with plenty of outdoor BBQs and picnics, making food safety our most important priority. The Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association says planning ahead for any outdoor cooking is one the best things you can do.
Making sure you have all the equipment needed to keep your food safe and have resources to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water to make sure no bacteria is spread. Cross-contamination is also a concern to be prepared for, especially separating raw and cooked food plus keeping any food temperature controlled.
"Below 41 degrees is the magic number. And then when it's time to cook, you know nothing needs to be out in the sun getting all kinds of bacteria before you start cooking. So make sure you go from refrigeration to the cooking process," says, Amanda Smith, executive vice president of education for the MRLA.
It's important to keep food chilled, cook over a controlled flame and have safe water for drinking and cleaning. When preparing to grill, remember to clean and preheat the grill beforehand.
"Make sure that you're not if you're camp firing, make sure you've got all the fire risk, you know, hose buckets, all of that stuff. A lot of places in our state still have burn bans on so if you are going to grill maybe a contained, you know Weber grill or brand grill that's metal and continue to contain the fire," says, Amanda Smith, executive vice president of education, MRLA.
If you are unsure at any point what to do in order to keep your food safe go to michiganfoodsafety.com is a great resource to reference and if all else fails head to a restaurant and let the professionals cook for you who still need our support post-pandemic.
