Health Tip: Enjoy a Safe Outdoor Meal

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When dining outdoors, you’re at a greater risk of getting food poisoning.

Here are suggestions for how to reduce your risk, courtesy of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:

• Before use, clean the grill with hot, soapy water.
• Wash your hands before, during and after preparing and handling food. Keep hand sanitizer nearby if you can’t reach soap and water.
• When thawing frozen food, do it in the refrigerator or microwave. Never marinate raw meat on the counter, but keep it in the fridge. And don’t use marinade again once it’s touched raw meat.
• Pack your cooler with plenty of ice. Place a thermometer inside to make sure your food is kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Thoroughly clean the cooler after each use.
• After you’ve put raw meat on the grill, wash the plate or get a clean one. Don’t put cooked meat back on the same plate. The same goes for any utensils that have touched raw meat.
• Keep a food thermometer outdoors to make sure meat is cooked to the appropriate temperature. Hamburgers and hot dogs should be cooked to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and chicken to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• When it’s 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, throw away any food left outside for longer than an hour.

Source: HealthDay

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