ISU Extension Nutrition and Wellness Specialist Ann Parker

There may be several gatherings during the 4th of July holiday weekend, lots of which may involve serving food. With that in mind, there are some safety tips to help prevent people from getting sick.

ISU Extension Wellness and Nutrition Specialist Ann Parker says to avoid cross-contamination as you prepare food, it’s best to keep all materials separate, especially raw meat.

“If you’re going to put raw meat on the grill make sure to use different tongs or a different utensil to take it off the grill. So that there’s no bacteria from that raw meat that could get on the cooked meat. And also make sure that you’re washing your hands, washing any utensils, cutting boards, anything you’re using to prep that meat. Make sure you are washing all of that before you go onto preparing another food for your gathering.”      

Parker points out if you are cooking meat, there are temperature levels to be aware of so the protein is cooked properly and bacteria is killed off. She says poultry should be cooked to a minimum of 165-degrees fahrenheit, ground beef and pork at 160-degrees, other beef products and pork chops cooked to at least 145-degrees and for seafood to 145-degrees.