Did you know there are more incidents of food poisoning (foodborne illness) in the summer months than any other time of year? Do you know why? According to the USDA, the bacteria that is present in soil, air, water, and on humans and animals grow more rapidly in the warm summer temperatures. Given the right circumstances, those bacteria and microbes can multiply quickly, be transferred to food, and make someone sick.
Combine all that with summer fun, when we have food outdoors more often, and the recipe for foodborne illness is complete.
Follow these four easy steps to prevent summer food safety problems and illness:

1. Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often with soap and warm water. Wash hands for 20 seconds before cooking and after handling raw meat, poultry, or fish. If cooking outside or away from a kitchen bring water with you if there is no safe source. Pack soap, clean cloths and moist towelettes for cleaning surfaces and hands.
2. Separate: Cross-contamination during preparation, grilling, and serving food is a prime cause of
   foodborne illness. When packing the cooler for an outing, wrap raw meats securely; avoid raw meat juices from coming in contact with ready-to-eat foods. It is recommended to have separate coolers for raw meats and ready to eat foods such as salads and fresh fruits and vegetables. When taking food off the grill, use clean utensils and platters. Don’t put cooked food on the same platter that held raw meat or poultry.
3. Cook: Cook to Safe Temperatures. Take your food thermometer with you. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns very fast on the outside, so be sure that meats are cooked thoroughly. Check them with a food thermometer to make sure they have reached the correct internal temperature. Always use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat and poultry. Place the food thermometer in the thickest part of the food.
   • Hamburgers, sausages, and other ground meats should reach 160°F.
   • All poultry should reach a minimum temperature of 165°F.
   • Whole cuts of pork, lamb, veal, and beef should be cooked to 145°F as measured by a food thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat, and allowed to rest for three minutes before eating. A “rest time” is the amount of time the product remains at the final temperature, after it has been removed from a grill, oven, or other heat source. During those three minutes, the meat temperature remains constant or continues to rise, which destroys microbes.
   • Fish should be cooked to 145°F.
   • Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns very fast on the outside, and by using a food thermometer you can be sure items have reached a safe minimum internal temperature needed to destroy any harmful bacteria that may be present.
4. Chill: Place leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate or freeze immediately. Discard food that has
   been sitting out longer than two hours. If food has been sitting out at a hot picnic, even for just one hour, discard it.
   Questions?
   Call ISU Extension and Outreach AnswerLine toll-free at 800-262-3804 for questions relating to home and
   family.
   • Hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m.
   • TTD (Telecommunications Device for Deaf Persons) available by calling 800-735-2942
   • Multiple language interpretation available
   • Email questions to answer@iastate.edu
   Need more food safety information?
   Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at (1-888-674-6854) Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, or email or chat at AskKaren.gov.
   Source: USDA Encourages Food Thermometers to be Food Safe This Summer United States Department of Agriculture.