Vickie Vaclavik, PhD, RD
Clinical Assistant Professor
UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Posted: July 2007

Welcome back!  Summer Grilling:  "Fire up" for Safe Food, and a Good Time with Family and Friends

Summer is officially here.  That means that Summer cooking on the grill is now upon us. We remember to keep foods at the correct temperature – hot foods hot, cold foods cold, and cooked foods achieving the correct temperature. The result is that we have safer foods for consumption. (See “Nutrition Surveillance” Center for Human Nutrition web site articles for the list of appropriate temperatures.)

However, the correct food temperature is not all there is to maintaining food safety at Summer cook-outs. Also important for Summer grilling is ensuring good personal hygiene and avoiding cross-contamination. (Once again, see “Food Safety” Center for Human Nutrition web site article to address these issues and serve as a reminder.)  Specifically, the home chef needs to attain high standards of cleanliness and sanitation for all utensils, work areas, and hands. The grill needs to be brushed and wiped clean of any remaining debris from the last cook-out.

OK, so we try to avoid serving up food-borne illness! We try our hardest to serve safe foods, yet we shouldn’t be compulsive or annoying to our family members or mealtime guests! Rather, put those same family members or guests to work – shuttling foods to the refrigerator, obtaining fresh platters and spatulas for carrying now-cooked items, and so forth. Don’t forget to bring out the hand sanitizing wipes – either in a dispenser or as individually wrapped wipes.

Once food is appropriately cooked, the bounty is ready to be shared and consumed by family and friends!  The outdoor picnic is fine if there are shade trees, and if the weather is not rainy, too humid or too hot.  Here in Dallas, Texas, outdoor picnics are generally outside my personal comfort zone. At my house, we do not have (m)any shade trees, and it gets hot in the back yard! We still like to grill out, however, we will serve food and eat indoors, thank you!

Regardless of where you have eaten, don’t forget that the clean up job remains a significant part of the whole “safe food” scenario. You may agree with the observation that most grilling occasions lend themselves to having excess preparation, thus, leftovers. Regarding leftovers, ask yourself “How long has the potentially hazardous foods (PHF) been out? Do any of the leftover food items on the table or kitchen counters need refrigeration?” Again, we shouldn’t be compulsive or annoying to our family members or mealtime guests! However, let’s remember that we desire to keep foods safe.

 Personally, I excuse myself from the table for a minute. In that time, I clear PHF’s from the table and am on a mission to achieve my goal of maintaining safe food. I make a quick sweep of any PHF items left out in the kitchen, and place them in the refrigerator. Precut pieces of wax paper or lids are ready to loosely cover the refrigerated foods until I get back. You can better cover the foods later. Yea … mission accomplished!  I can rest assured that food to be eaten later is protected. Now back to my family and other guests – the REAL reason for the cookout!

Enjoy the time you have with family and friends. Until next time …
Vickie Vaclavik Ph.D., R.D.