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"Make Sure To Chill-Out Before You Grill Out"
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Susan Conley (301) 504-9605
Steven Cohen (202) 720-9113
WASHINGTON, June 29, 2004 – Firecracker-hot weather and backyard grilling typify the
Fourth of July holiday weekend. But before you head for the grill, make sure you go for the chill, says
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Icy beverages in insulated coolers help keep holiday celebrants refreshed. But chilling is even more
important for food safety. Cases of foodborne illness can increase because bacteria grow faster on
raw meat and poultry when it's warm.
"Warm weather makes it fun to be outdoors but these temperatures are comfortable for bacteria as
well, so keep food cold until you grill it," said Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Elsa Murano.
To survive and reproduce, bacteria need time and the right environment: food, moisture and a warm
temperature. Most disease-causing organisms grow rapidly above 40 °F, the temperature of a
typical refrigerator. Some bacteria can double their numbers every 20 minutes at temperatures
above 40 °F. In a few hours, bacteria can become so great in number that they potentially
can cause an illness or form "toxins" that might not be fully destroyed by cooking.
Why is Chilling Important?
The reason chilling food is so important is that most bacteria and other pathogens grow very slowly,
if at all, at refrigerator temperatures (40 °F or below).
"CHILL: Refrigerate promptly" is one of the four principles of the Fight BAC!® campaign, a
public-private partnership of industry, consumer groups and the Food Safety and Inspection Service of USDA.
In addition to keeping meat and poultry chilled, it's also important to follow the other Fight BAC!®
messages to prevent foodborne illness.
- Clean. Wash hands and surfaces often.
- Separate. Separate raw meat, poultry and egg products from cooked foods to avoid cross-contamination.
- Cook. Raw meat, poultry and egg products need to be cooked thoroughly. Use a food thermometer to ensure foods have reached a high enough temperature to kill any harmful bacteria that might be present.
Keep Hot Food Hot
Another enemy of bacteria is cooking, so reheat meat and poultry to destroy any bacteria that might be present.
Use a food thermometer to check for safety and doneness. Beef burgers and other ground meats should be cooked to
160 °F and ground poultry to 165 °F. Steaks and chops of beef, veal or lamb can be cooked to an internal
temperature of 145 °F for medium rare and 160 °F for medium. Fresh pork should reach 160 °F.
Cook poultry breasts to 170 °F. Ready-to-eat foods such as hot dogs and sausages should be reheated or grilled to 165 °F.
Disposable temperature indicators known as T-sticks also are great for testing burgers.
Keep Cold Food Cold
On a hot day, it is wise to bring a cooler when you go shopping if your grocery store is more than a half
hour away from home. Pack the meat and poultry in the cooler for the drive home. Refrigerate or
freeze meat and poultry as soon as you get home from the store. It's essential to keep perishable
food refrigerated.
Continue to keep these foods chilled on the way to and throughout your cookout. Carry cold
perishable foods in an insulated cooler packed with plenty of ice or frozen gel packs. Be sure raw
meat and poultry are wrapped securely to prevent juices from cross-contaminating ready-to-eat foods.
Unpack the cooler just before cooking or serving the food.
Food should not be left out of the cooler or off the grill for more than two hours
(one hour when the outside temperature is above 90 °F). Store food in the cooler except for brief
times while serving. Cook only the amount of food that will be eaten to avoid the challenge of
keeping leftovers at a safe temperature. Throw away leftovers that have stayed out longer than
two hours - or one hour if it's a hot day. When in doubt, throw it out!
For more information in English and Spanish, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline
(1-888-674-6854) or TTY: 1-800-256-7072. The year-round hotline can be called Monday through Friday
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST. An extensive selection of timely food safety messages also is available
at the same number 24 hours a day. Information can be accessed on the FSIS Web site at
https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081031040028/http://www.fsis.usda.gov. E-mail inquiries can be directed to mphotline.fsis@usda.gov.
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