I always like to do an article on food safety around Memorial Day, Independence Day and Thanksgiving.

People do not realize that if food is undercooked or not held at proper temperatures, people can get sick and make visits to the emergency room. I hold a ServSafe certification, and it is very important just to remind you of some food safety guidelines and tips.

This great information is taken directly from “USDA Urges Consumers to Keep Clear of the Danger Zone This Summer,” released by USDA’s food safety education staff. Please read the entire article, dated May 17, 2016, which still holds true today, at tinyurl.com/3s8pnk4e.

“Summer cookouts are right around the corner, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service is urging consumers to remember the four simple steps to food safety - clean, separate, cook and chill - and to steer clear of the ‘danger zone’ while cooking outdoors.”

The danger zone is the temperature range in which bacteria can grow faster. Bacteria can actually double in number in as little as 20 minutes when perishable food is kept in the danger zone. In order to steer clear of the danger zone, you should always:

1. Keep cold food - at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit - in the refrigerator, in coolers or in containers on ice.

2. Limit the time coolers are open. Open and close the lid quickly. Do not leave coolers in direct sunlight.

3. Keep foods served hot - at or above 140 degrees Fahrenheit - in chafing dishes, warming trays, slow cookers or on the grill. You can keep cooked meats hot by setting them to the side of the grill rack - not directly over the coals, where they could overcook.

4. Use a food thermometer to check the safe recommended temperatures.

5. Never leave food between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit out for more than two hours. If the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, food should not be left out more than one hour.

Don’t forget to follow the four steps to food safety when preparing dishes for a cookout:

Clean: Make sure to always wash your hands and surfaces with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before cooking and after handling raw meat or poultry during cooking.

Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils and work spaces with soap and warm water, too. If you plan to be away from the kitchen, pack clean cloths and moist towelettes for cleaning surfaces and hands.

Separate: When taking food off the grill, use a clean platter. Don’t put cooked food on the same platter that held raw meat or poultry. Any harmful bacteria present in the raw meat juices could contaminate safely cooked food.

Cook: Always use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of burgers, steaks, chicken and foods containing meat or poultry. Hamburgers, sausages and other ground meats should reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit. All poultry should reach a minimum temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Whole cuts of pork, lamb, veal and beef should be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit as measured by a food thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat and allowed to rest for three minutes before eating. Fish should be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rest time is the amount of time the product remains at the final temperature after it has been removed from a grill, oven or other heat source. During the three minutes after meat is removed from the heat source, its temperature remains constant or continues to rise, which destroys pathogens.

Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often brown very fast on the outside, and you can be sure items have reached a safe minimum internal temperature needed to destroy harmful bacteria by using a food thermometer.

Chill: After a cookout, place leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate or freeze immediately. Discard food left in the danger zone too long. Remember, when in doubt, throw it out!

I hope you found this information helpful. Have a super fantastic and safe Memorial Day weekend!