Many people will be enjoying the Fourth of July holiday weekend with a good cookout, but experts want to remind everyone that food safety is still a priority.
Experts say that using different utensils when handling raw and cooked meat reduces the chances of cross-contamination.
They also say to make sure you’re cooking the meat to the proper temperature of 105 degrees.
Taylor Stokes, an Environmental Health Specialist for Northern Nevada Public Health, told us, "Maybe a tip for setting up your space so that it's most productive and most safe is going to be keeping your raw foods on one side of the grill, and your ready-to-eat foods on the other side. That's what I do personally with my own grill at home. But that's going to keep your utensils clean and your customers and your family, your friends safe from cross-contamination."
They also want to remind people that leaving your food out in the sun for a long time is unsanitary.
Leaving food out, especially meat, can lead to the growth of bacteria.
Stokes says, "A great way to do that is making sure that you're covering food when it needs to be, and also leaving it in an ice chest or in the refrigerator as long as possible. If it's been out in the sun too long, the safest thing to do is to discard it just to make sure that you're not letting it grow any harmful bacteria."
Being aware of the dangers is important and can keep you from getting sick.
Experts say it’s better to change habits before it’s too late. Just because you haven't gotten sick in the past doesn't mean it can't happen.
Stokes says, "It could be the case where you've been safe in the past, and you've not had that bad luck. But sometimes, what you find with food-borne illness a lot is that it goes underreported. So if you experience any of those symptoms - vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat with a fever - those can all be signs that maybe you did contract an illness."
And when it comes to cleaning up, it's just as important as the prep.
Making sure your kitchen and cooking utensils are properly cleaned can help prevent the growth of bacteria.
They say doing it sooner rather than later is the best option.
Stokes told us, "Making sure that you use hot water and soap at all times, whether that's in your dish at home or through your dishwasher in our restaurants, we have them use a sanitizing agent as well, but if you're just home and it's just for your friends and family, making sure to hit it with hot water and soap."
When it comes to food allergies, they say to check in with the people who are coming over to eat and ask them what they feel comfortable eating or what they need to avoid.
