ST. GEORGE — It’s Memorial Day weekend. School’s out. Temperatures are up. And grills will be going full force as families across the U.S. mark this patriotic celebration with barbecues, picnics, parades and more.
With the Southern Utah weather forecast calling for highs in the upper 80s through the Monday holiday, those planning outdoor activities accompanied by a feast should keep food safety in mind — especially if you’ll be eating outdoors, potentially over a period of hours.
Keep the hot hot and the cold cold
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the “2-Hour Rule” is a wise way to go. It states that “perishables left at room temperature for more than two hours should be discarded … Never leave food out of refrigeration over two hours. If the temperature is above 90 °F, food should not be left out more than one hour.”
Additionally, the USDA warns about the “Danger Zone” when consuming food outdoors.
Leaving food out too long at room temperature can cause bacteria … to grow to dangerous levels that can cause illness. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. This range of temperatures is often called the ‘Danger Zone.’
In order to avoid potential illness from spoiled foods that sit outdoors for too long, the USDA suggests the following:
- Keep hot food hot — at or above 140 °F. Place cooked food in chafing dishes, preheated steam tables, warming trays and/or slow cookers.
- Keep cold food cold — at or below 40 °F. Place food in containers on ice.
Follow safe grilling tips
Grilling and picnicking often go hand-in-hand. And according to the Food and Drug Administration, there are important guidelines that should be followed to ensure that your grilled food reaches the table safely.
- Marinate safely. Marinate foods in the refrigerator — never on the kitchen counter or outdoors. In addition, if you plan to use some of the marinade as a sauce on the cooked food, reserve a portion separately before adding the raw meat, poultry, or seafood. Don’t reuse marinade.
- Cook immediately after “partial cooking.” Partial cooking before grilling is only safe when the partially cooked food can go on the hot grill immediately, for example at a home with a grill on the patio or deck.
- Cook food thoroughly. When it’s time to cook the food, have your food thermometer ready. Always use it to be sure your food is cooked thoroughly.
- Keep “ready” food hot. Grilled food can be kept hot until served by moving it to the side of the grill rack, just away from the coals. This keeps it hot but prevents overcooking.
- Don’t reuse platters or utensils. Using the same platter or utensils that previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood allows bacteria from the raw food’s juices to spread to the cooked food. Instead, have a clean platter and utensils ready at grill-side to serve your food.
- Check for foreign objects in food. If you clean your grill using a bristle brush, check to make sure that no detached bristles have made their way into grilled food.
Push fluids; avoid dehydration
Finally, amid the fun and games associated with Memorial Day weekend and warmer weather in general, one factor should always be considered: hydration.
Kathy Riggs, Utah State University Extension family and consumer sciences professor and food preservation specialist for Iron County describes what could happen if individuals do not hydrate properly.
“Water is a major component in the makeup of the human body,” she writes in her “Ask an Expert” feature. “Along with other functions, the body requires water to flush toxins out of vital organs and carry nutrients to the cells. Without enough water, dehydration can cause stress on the body, bringing about feelings of fatigue, light-headedness or throbbing headaches as the body loses the ability to cool down properly.”
So this weekend, have fun, but remember to observe the 2-hour rule, grill safely and push fluids.
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