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Steps for safe food in the summertime

Cooperative Extension Service offers tips for food safety

Over the July 4 holiday weekend, many Fulton County residents will celebrate with cookouts and picnics. The Cooperative Extension Service urges cooks to declare their independence from salmonella and other food-borne bacteria with safe cooking and food storage practices.

Warm weather makes it is especially important to take extra precautions and practice safe food handling when preparing perishable foods such as meat, poultry, seafood and egg products. The Fulton County Cooperative Extension Service offers the following tips to keep food safe and reduce the risk of food-borne illness:

•Wash, Wash, Wash Your Hands: Always wash your hands with hot, soapy water before and after handling food. The same applies to work surfaces and utensils.

•Marinating Mandate: Marinate meats in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Don’t use sauce that was used to marinate raw meat or poultry on cooked food. Or, bring used marinade to a boil before applying to cooked food.

•Temperature Gauge: Use a food thermometer to insure that food reaches a safe internal temperature. Food thermometers are inexpensive and can be bought at most grocery and discount stores.

•Stay Away from that Same Old Plate: When taking foods off the grill, do not put cooked food back on the same plate that previously held raw food. Also, use separate cutting boards and utensils for preparing raw meat.

•Icebox Etiquette: Full coolers do a better job of staying cold, so pack in plenty of extra ice or freezer packs to insure a constant cool temperature. Keep the lid closed.

For more information, call the Fulton County Cooperative Extension Agency at 404-762-4077 or the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s Food Safety Hotline at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.