With the Fourth of July coming up tomorrow, there will be plenty of cookouts and food safety is a concern for the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Health officials say that food-borne illnesses tend to increase during the summer for two reasons.  The first reason is  that bacteria tend to multiply faster when it’s warm. Another
reason is that people are cooking outside more, away from the refrigerators, thermometers and washing facilities of a kitchen.

The Georgia Department of Public Health has these tips:

• Clean surfaces, hands and utensils with warm water and soap. Wash produce
under running water before cutting, eating or cooking.
• Separate raw and cooked meat and poultry from ready-to-eat foods (raw
vegetables and fruits). Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meat
and ready-to-eat items like vegetables or bread.
• Cook food to the proper temperature – use a food thermometer to check.
o Beef, pork, lamb and veal (steaks, roasts, chops): 145 °F with a threeminute rest time
o Ground meats: 160 °F
o Whole poultry, poultry breasts and ground poultry: 165 °F
• Chill. Perishable food should not sit out for more than two hours. In hot weather
(above 90 °F), food should NEVER sit out for more than one hour.