For Immediate Release: 6/30/2015 Summer of Safety Continues; County Offers Safety Tips for Outdoor Eating & Grilling Montgomery County’s Summer of Safety campaign continues this week as residents prepare to celebrate July 4th with picnics, cookouts and fireworks. Don’t let food poisoning be an uninvited guest at your summer gatherings. More than half of the cases of salmonellosis reported every year occur in the summer months. Salmonella is one of the most common bacteria found in foods that are not cooked properly. While it is not usually fatal, symptoms can include headache, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and fever. Summer Food Safety Foods likely to contain bacteria when not cooked properly include eggs, meat, poultry, fish and cooked high-protein foods that have not been refrigerated after cooking, such as rice, potatoes and beans. The following tips will help residents enjoy the summer after the social gathering has ended: • Cook foods to at least 145°F, pork to at least 155-160° F, ground beef to 155-160° F, poultry to 165° F, stuffing and stuffed meat to at least 165° F. Hot foods should always be served while still hot. • Cook hamburger patties and meat loaf so the center is NOT pink and the juices run clear. Crumbled ground meat should be cooked until no pink color remains. • Keep hot foods hot. After cooking meat or chicken on the grill, keep it at 135°F or warmer until serving. If reheating fully cooked items such as baked beans or hot potato salad, heat to 165°F. • Keep cold foods cold. If using a cooler, keep it out of the sun and avoid opening it too often so it stays as cold as possible. Keep cold foods at 41° F or colder at all times. • Transport cold foods in a cooler to minimize bacteria growth. Use an insulated cooler with ice packs. • When making cold salads and sandwiches—or any food served cold—refrigerate all ingredients (below 41° F) before mixing, and then return to the refrigerator until served. • Thoroughly clean and sanitize utensils and cutting surfaces between the preparation of different food items, especially after handling raw poultry, beef, pork and eggs. These raw foods have surface bacteria that could contaminate other foods. Never put cooked meat on the same unwashed platter used for raw meat. • Do not thaw meat and poultry at room temperature. To keep the outside of these foods cold while the inside is still defrosting, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator or under cold running water. Microwave ovens can be used to safely defrost meat and poultry, but cook immediately. • Promptly refrigerate leftovers. Store food in shallow uncovered containers to cool rapidly. • Reheat leftovers thoroughly (165° F or more) before serving. • Wash hands with soap and water before preparing food, after handling raw food and after using the bathroom or playing with pets. • Prepare food as close to serving time as possible. This eliminates the time element that can allow any bacteria that may be present to increase to large numbers. Food should be left out no longer than two hours. If the temperature is 90° F or warmer, food should not be left out longer than one hour. • Finally, when in doubt, throw it out. For more information about safe food preparation and handling, call the United States Department of Agriculture’s meat and poultry hotline at 1-888-674-6854 or go to the website. Summer Grilling Safety Before you plan your next outdoor cookout, keep these safety tips in mind: • If you haven’t used your grill in a while, give it a good cleaning. Scrub the grate with a wire brush and save future cleaning time by using a nonstick cooking spray to prevent food from sticking to the grill. • Before using your grill, go online to check whether your grill has been recalled due to any safety defects. • Position the grill in a well-ventilated, flat and level surface away from your house, overhangs, deck railings, tree branches, shrubbery and anything that can burn. Never use a grill indoors. • Never leave a grill unattended—even for a minute—and supervise children and pets around the grill; declare a three-foot “kid-free zone” around the grilling area. • Wear short, close fitting or tightly rolled-up sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can dangle over the grill and catch fire. For more information about grilling safety, visit the Montgomery County Fire Rescue Services website. For additional important summer safety tips and hazard prevention information, regularly visit the Montgomery County Summer of Safety webpage at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/summersafety. On the home page, learn how to subscribe to SoS E-News Updates, and follow tweets using #MoCoSafety. New information will be added all summer long. # # # Release ID: 15-259 Media Contact: Mary Anderson 240-777-6534

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