Safe Summer Grilling

As the weather turns nicer, grilling outside is the perfect way to spice up your daily routine—especially after being stuck inside for so long. Check out these tips to help make your warm-weather meal as safe as it is delicious.

Grill Prep

Safety starts before grilling begins—this means proper grill maintenance is a must. Make sure to set up your grill in a well-ventilated area at least ten feet away from your house to reduce the risk of fire.

"Never use a grill indoors or in a poorly ventilated area, as both charcoal and propane grills give off carbon monoxide," says Lori DeCosta, MS, RD-AP, LDN, Director of Nutrition at BIDMC. If you start to feel a headache, nausea, drowsiness, or flu like symptoms, get to a well ventilated area—these early symptoms are often ignored and mistaken for other issues instead of carbon monoxide poisoning.

It’s also important to clean your grill regularly by removing grease or fat buildup to help prevent grease flare ups. "A grill covered in extra fat and grease literally adds more fuel to the fire," DeCosta says.

If you use propane, make sure to check for gas leaks. You can do this by rubbing a solution of soapy water on the hoses and connections – if the soap begins to bubble when you turn on the gas, you’ve found a leak. Do not use a grill that has a gas leak.

Paying Attention to the Task at Hand

While the backyard might get distracting, it’s important to stay focused on the fire in front of you.

Never turn on the gas when your grill lid is closed. This can cause a gas build up and result in an explosion. "It’s also important to not overload your grill with food, especially when cooking fatty meats, since an excess of fat dripping on flames can result in a flare-up," DeCosta says.

Safe Cooking

Prevent the spread of harmful bacteria by using separate containers for raw foods, like meat, and ready-to-eat foods, like fruit and salads. Perishable foods shouldn’t be left out for more than two hours. And remember, once you’re done grilling, don’t put cooked foods back on cutting boards or plates that originally held raw meat.

"Undercooked meat can be cause of foodborne illness," DeCosta says. "The color of meat isn’t always a reliable indicator for whether or not your food is done. Use a meat thermometer instead."

Use these guidelines for minimum temperature requirements:

• Ground beef must be heated throughout to a temperature of 160 degrees F.
• Steaks, roasts and pork should be heated to 145 degrees F.
• Poultry should be heated to 165 degrees F.
• Fish should be cooked to 145 degrees F. or until it easily separates with a fork.