Avoid These Barbecue Mistakes to Protect Your Health This Summer

As summer barbecue season gets underway, simple hygiene lapses can raise the risk of food poisoning during outdoor cooking and dining. Health guidance stresses frequent handwashing with soap and keeping kitchen tools, plates, cutting boards and preparation surfaces clean. Separate cutting boards should be used for vegetables and for raw meat, chicken and seafood to prevent cross-contamination. The grill should also be scrubbed with a brush and preheated before use to help reduce any remaining microbes. Meat, chicken and fish should be taken out of the refrigerator only when it is time to cook, and should not be left outside for more than two hours. Marinating should be done in the refrigerator, not at room temperature. Fruit and vegetables should be washed even if their skins are hard, and a food thermometer should be used to make sure meats reach a safe internal temperature before serving.