Many of us will be grilling this July 4th holiday weekend, therefore, it’s a good time for some reminders about how to protect yourself and your family from food-borne illness.
According to a report in HealthDay News, “Harmful bacteria multiply faster during warmer weather, making food-borne illness even more of a threat during the summer grilling season.”
The Food Safety website suggests these techniques to reduce the risk of food-related illness:

• Always wash your hands thoroughly with water and soap before cooking.
• Allow meat to marinate in the refrigerator, not on the counter at room temperature.
• Don’t baste food with marinade that was used on raw meat; reserve some just for basting.
• Use a food thermometer to make sure food is cooked thoroughly.
• Store any raw meat, seafood and fish separate from other food and utensils.
• Store chilled foods in the refrigerator and keep hot foods heated until serving time.

Also, when you put the food on the grill, be sure to wash the plate or tray on which the raw food rested BEFORE using it to carry the cooked food to the table or kitchen.
So, have a happy and safe holiday!