Basic Principles of Summer Food Safety

Judy Mitnick, a registered dietitian with Bon Secours In Motion, recently went on WAVY TV to discusses the four basic principles of cooking, preparing, and serving food safely outside.

According the 2010 dietary guidelines, her top four concerns for those cooking outdoors is a reminder to:

1. Clean
   Wash your hands with warm soapy water or hand sanitizer before and after preparing food – especially when handling raw meat. Also, make sure your grill and cooking tools are cleaned regularly.
2. Separate
   Prevent cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods by designating different utensils for each. Keep foods tightly covered whether you’re storing them or transporting them from one place to another.
3. Cook
   Invest in a quality meat thermometer and use it to measure the heat of your meat. Make sure to cook foods to an appropriate temperature. For more information about the requirements for cooking various meats visit homefoodsafety.org.
4. Chill
   After you cook foods or if you’re taking them someplace it’s important to keep it the proper temperatures – sometimes a cooler isn’t enough. Keep your food between 40-140 degrees to avoid the “danger zone” of food safety.

For more information about nutrition and healthy eating, visit our Nutrition and Weight Loss Program pages.