Food Safety at Your Summer BBQ Bash

Food Safety at Your Summer BBQ Bash

 

 

“Plan a BBQ and invite all your friends,” they said.

“It’ll be fun,” they said. 

Party planning can be a lot of work, so, remember, if you’re planning a summer BBQ, try not to stress too much. Chances are, no one will notice all the tiny details… hold that thought. There is one thing you might want to pay a little more attention to. Food safety is no joke and when you have a party going on, it’s easy to forget about leftovers sitting out too long. Here are some simple tips to follow so germs don’t rain on your sunny outdoor BBQ:

 

You Know Us, We’re All About Cleaning

Cleaning up after your get-together is important, we know that. But, cleaning before and during the party is just as important. Cleaning your hands, that is.

Getting ready to prepare food? Wash them.

Playing party games before eating? Wash them.

Serving food to your friends at the party? Wash them.

Playing fetch with the family dog? Wash them.

Need a hand? Try our Hand & Body Soap.

Raw Data on Raw Meat

Everyone needs alone time, including raw meat. Make sure your raw meat, seafood, and eggs don’t go near other foods like fruits, veggies, bread, and snack foods. Be sure to use Dish Soap to keep cutting boards and dishes that come in contact with raw meat clean between uses. 

When it comes time to cook, using a food thermometer can help you cook meats to the right temperature. This will help kill off germs that could cause sickness. Check out this chart from foodsafety.gov for recommended cooking temperatures.

 

Keep it Fresh

BBQs are all about the burgers but they're not the only thing that's good on the grill. If you're planning to serve up some veggie skewers, be sure to clean all your produce thoroughly before serving it, especially if you're not planning to cook it first. Try BETTER LIFE Produce Wash for quick produce cleaning power. 

 

The Word on How to Serve

It’s simple. Keep cold food cold and hot food hot. Here’s the rundown:

Hot Food: Keep at temperatures 140°F or warmer

Cold Food: Keep at temperatures 40°F or lower

Before serving cold food, keep it in a cooler or refrigerator so it stays at a safer temperature longer.

 

The Laws of Leftovers

Don’t leave perishable foods out for more than two hours. If your food is out in the heat (over 90°F), they can’t be out for more than an hour. But, you don’t need to toss them. Save that food for later. Place your food in shallow containers so the food cools evenly and remember when you reheat your leftovers, reheat them to at least 165°F. 

Tip: Leftovers only last for three to four days so send some home with your guests! Too much leftover food will go to waste in your fridge!

 

Sources:

https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html

https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/serving-food-safely.html

Back to blog

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.