As Minnesotans gather for Fourth of July cookouts, picnics and other outdoor celebrations, University of Minnesota School of Public Health food safety expert Melanie Firestone offers tips and recommendations for keeping food safe while grilling and eating outdoors.

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  Keep hot food hot and cold foods cold. Hot foods should stay at or above 140 degrees F and cold foods should stay at or below 40 degrees F. Keep food refrigerated until it is time to serve, or pack it in a cooler with ice or ice packs. Do not leave food out for more than two hours—or more than one hour when temperatures are above 90 degrees F.

• Cook food to a safe internal temperature. Use a food thermometer rather than relying on color or texture. The USDA Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart provides recommended cooking temperatures for poultry, beef, pork, seafood, and other foods.
• Separate raw and ready-to-eat foods. Use different cutting boards, plates and utensils for raw meat, poultry, seafood and for cooked or ready-to-eat foods. Never place cooked food back on a plate that holds raw meat.
• Marinate safely. Marinate food in the refrigerator, not outdoors or on the counter. Discard marinades and sauces that have touched raw meat or raw meat juices unless they are boiled first.
• Wash hands and clean surfaces frequently. Wash hands with soap and water before preparing food and after handling raw meat. Clean and sanitize food-preparation surfaces and utensils between uses. If running water is unavailable, bring water, soap and paper towels.

Firestone’s research explores the intersection of infectious diseases and environmental health. Her areas of expertise include foodborne illnesses, food safety, infectious diseases, epidemiology and outbreak investigations. She recently led a study examining how restaurant inspection data could be better linked with foodborne illness surveillance to help public health agencies identify risks and prevent outbreaks.