USDA Shares 4 Key Steps to Keep Food Safe This Fourth of July

As families prepare for Fourth of July cookouts, health officials are urging extra caution when it comes to food safety. Each year, the CDC estimates 48 million Americans get sick from foodborne illnesses, and around 3,000 die.

In this week’s Health Minute, Mandy Gaither spoke with Meredith Carothers of the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, who outlined four key steps to prevent food-related illness during the holiday.

Step one: clean. Wash hands, utensils, and surfaces before, during, and after preparing food.

Step two: separate. Keep raw meats away from ready-to-eat foods to prevent cross-contamination. Carothers recommends using separate utensils for raw and cooked meats at the grill.

Step three: cook. Use a food thermometer to ensure meats reach a safe internal temperature. Grilling can make food look done before it actually is. Carothers advises checking the internal temp to be sure.

Step four: chill. Don’t leave perishable foods out for more than two hours—or just one hour if it’s hot outside. If food has been sitting too long, the USDA recommends tossing it.

Carothers also reminds anyone transporting food to use a cooler or insulated bag with cold sources like ice packs or frozen water bottles to keep items at a safe temperature.

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