Barbecue Food Safety
United States Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Food Safety Information
PhotoDisc
Barbecue and Food Safety
Cooking outdoors was once only a summer activity shared with family and friends. Now more than half of
Americans say they are cooking outdoors year round. So whether the snow is blowing or the sun is shining
brightly, it’s important to follow food safety guidelines to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying and causing
foodborne illness. Use these simple guidelines for grilling food safely.
From the Store: Home First
However, if the marinade used on raw meat or
poultry is to be reused, make sure to let it come to a
When shopping, buy cold food like meat and poultry
boil first to destroy any harmful bacteria.
last, right before checkout. Separate raw meat and
poultry from other food in your shopping cart. To
Transporting
guard against cross-contamination — which can
happen when raw meat or poultry juices drip on
When carrying food to another location, keep it cold
other food — put packages of raw meat and poultry
to minimize bacterial growth. Use an insulated cooler
into plastic bags.
with sufficient ice or ice packs to keep the food at
40 °F or below. Pack food right from the refrigerator
Plan to drive directly home from the grocery store.
into the cooler immediately before leaving home.
You may want to take a cooler with ice for
perishables. Always refrigerate perishable food
Keep Cold Food Cold
within 2 hours. Refrigerate within 1 hour when the
temperature is above 90 °F.
Keep meat and poultry refrigerated until ready to
use. Only take out the meat and poultry that will
At home, place meat and poultry in the refrigerator
immediately be placed on the grill.
immediately. Freeze poultry and ground meat that
won’t be used in 1 or 2 days; freeze other meat
When using a cooler, keep it out of the direct sun by
within 4 to 5 days.
placing it in the shade or shelter. Avoid opening the
Thaw Safely
lid too often, which lets cold air out and warm air in.
Pack beverages in one cooler and perishables in a
separate cooler.
Completely thaw meat and poultry before grilling so
it cooks more evenly. Use the refrigerator for slow,
Keep Everything Clean
safe thawing or thaw sealed packages in cold water.
You can microwave defrost if the food will be placed
Be sure there are plenty of clean utensils and
immediately on the grill.
platters. To prevent foodborne illness, don’t use the
Marinating
same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat
and poultry. Harmful bacteria present in raw meat
and poultry and their juices can contaminate safely
A marinade is a savory, acidic sauce in which a food is
cooked food.
soaked to enrich its flavor or to tenderize it.
Marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
If you’re eating away from home, find out if there’s a
Poultry and cubed meat or stew meat can be
source of clean water. If not, bring water for
marinated up to 2 days. Beef, veal, pork, and lamb
preparation and cleaning. Or pack clean cloths, and
roasts, chops, and steaks may be marinated up to 5
wet towelettes for cleaning surfaces and hands.
days. If some of the marinade is to be used as a
sauce on the cooked food, reserve a portion of the
marinade before putting raw meat and poultry in it.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health
USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline
agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring
that the nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products
1-888-MPHotline
is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.
(1-888-674-6854)
Barbecue and Food Safety
Precooking
Precooking food partially in the microwave, oven, or
stove is a good way of reducing grilling time. Just
make sure that the food goes immediately on the
preheated grill to complete cooking.
Cook Thoroughly
Cook food to a safe minimum internal temperature to
destroy harmful bacteria. Meat and poultry cooked
on a grill often browns very fast on the outside. Use
a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached
a safe minimum internal temperature. Beef, veal, and
lamb steaks, roasts and chops can be cooked to 145
°F. Hamburgers made of ground beef should reach
160 °F. All cuts of pork should reach 160 °F. All
poultry should reach a minimum of 165 °F.
NEVER partially grill meat or poultry and finish
cooking later.
SAFE MINIMUM INTERNAL
TEMPERATURES
Whole poultry
165 °F
Poultry breasts
165 °F
Serving the Food
Ground poultry
165 °F
When taking food off the grill, use a clean platter.
Hamburgers, beef
160 °F
Don’t put cooked food on the same platter that held
raw meat or poultry. Any harmful bacteria present in
Beef, veal, and lamb
the raw meat juices could contaminate safely cooked
(steaks, roasts and chops)
food. In hot weather (above 90 °F), food should
Medium rare
145 °F
never sit out for more than 1 hour.
Medium
160 °F
All cuts of pork
160 °F
Reheating
When reheating fully cooked meats like hot dogs,
grill to 165 °F or until steaming hot.
Keep Hot Food Hot
After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it
hot until served -- at 140 °F or warmer.
Keep cooked meats hot by setting them to the side
of the grill rack, not directly over the coals where
they could overcook. At home, the cooked meat can
be kept hot in an oven set at approximately 200 °F,
in a chafing dish or slow cooker, or on a warming tray.
Food Safety Information
Food Safety Information
2
2
Barbecue and Food Safety
Leftovers
REMEMBER!
Refrigerate any leftovers promptly in shallow
containers. Discard any food left out more than 2
hours (1 hour if temperatures are above 90 °F).
Always refrigerate perishable food within 2
hours. Refrigerate within 1 hour when the
Safe Smoking
temperature is above 90 °F.
Smoking is cooking food indirectly in the presence of
a fire. It can be done in a covered grill if a pan of
Does Grilling Pose a Cancer Risk?
water is placed beneath the meat on the grill; and
meats can be smoked in a “smoker,” which is an
Some studies suggest there may be a cancer risk
outdoor cooker especially designed for smoking
related to eating food cooked by high-heat cooking
foods. Smoking is done much more slowly than
techniques as grilling, frying, and broiling. Based on
grilling, so less tender meats benefit from this
present research findings, eating moderate amounts
method, and a natural smoke flavoring permeates
of grilled meats like fish, meat, and poultry cooked —
the meat. The temperature in the smoker should be
without charring — to a safe temperature does not
maintained at 250 to 300 °F for safety.
pose a problem.
Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has
To prevent charring, remove visible fat that can
reached a safe internal temperature.
cause a flare-up. Precook meat in the microwave
immediately before placing it on the grill to release
Pit Roasting
some of the juices that can drop on coals. Cook food
in the center of the grill and move coals to the side
Pit roasting is cooking meat in a large, level hole dug
to prevent fat and juices from dripping on them. Cut
in the earth. A hardwood fire is built in the pit,
charred portions off the meat.
requiring wood equal to about 2 1/2 times the vol-
ume of the pit. The hardwood is allowed to burn until
the wood reduces and the pit is half filled with burning
coals. This can require 4 to 6 hours burning time.
Cooking may require 10 to 12 hours or more and is
difficult to estimate. A food thermometer must be
used to determine the meat’s safety and doneness.
There are many variables such as outdoor
temperature, the size and thickness of the meat, and
how fast the coals are cooking.
Food Safety Questions?
Call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline
Ask Karen!
If you have a question
The Hotline is open year-round
FSIS’ automated response
about meat, poultry, or
Monday through Friday
system can provide food safety
egg products, call the
information 24/7.
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
USDA Meat and
ET (English or
Poultry Hotline
Spanish). Recorded
toll free at
food safety messages
1-888-MPHotline
are available 24 hours
(1-888-674-6854);
a day. Check out the
TTY: 1-800-256-7072.
FSIS Web site at
www.fsis.usda.gov.
Send E-mail questions to MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov.
www.fsis.usda.gov
FSIS encourages the reprint and distribution of this publication for food safety
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Revised April 2007
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