grilling

Safety When Grilling and Smoking on the Fourth of July

Dan This Land of Ours, USDA-FSIS, USDA-FSIS

Tips for staying safe while grilling on this Independence Day. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.

grilling
Image by urban_light/DepositPhotos

On July Fourth, the aroma of barbecue will fill the air as people come together to celebrate with quintessential American cooking pastimes: grilling and smoking meat. Food is a big part of celebrating the Fourth, aside from the fireworks.

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) is asking everyone to take the proper precautions during food prep.

  • Thaw the meat or poultry first.
  • Marinate your protein in the refrigerator.
  • Do not marinate on the counter.
  • Keep the raw meat and poultry separated.
  • Use different cutting boards and utensils for raw meats and poultry. Do the same thing when the food is fully cooked.
  • Keep the smoker and grill at a safe temperature.
  • Cook the meats to a safe internal temperature as measured by a food thermometer. Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb, veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temp of 145 F before removing from the heat source.

Listen to Sabrina Halvorson’s This Land Of Ours program here.

Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.

Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.