Safety first at those summertime cookouts

Summertime is finally upon us. This a great time to catch up with friends, find a good read, and most importantly ... partake in cookouts.

However, when preparing for cookouts it is important to always remember safety first.

Here a few tips to avoid food borne illness throughout the summer months:

* Wash your hands before and after handling food.

* When taking foods off the grill, do not put cooked food items back on the same plate that previously held raw food.

* Never let raw meat, cooked food or cut fresh fruits or vegetables sit at room temperature more than two hours before putting them in the cooler or refrigerator (one hour when the temperature is above 90°F).

* Make sure to pack plenty of extra ice or freezer packs in your cooler to ensure a constant cold temperature.

* Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source.

* Cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb and veal to an internal temperature of 160 °F as measured with a food thermometer.

* Cook all poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer.

* Never partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking later.

Food safety also extends well beyond the surface of outdoor cookouts and picnics.

Food safety can also be demonstrated on summer trips. If you plan to travel with perishable food, place food in a cooler with freezer packs or ice. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends placing drinks in a separate cooler than your meat.

When packing perishable foods for your trip, pack food directly from freezer or refrigerator (USDA). Meat and poultry may be packed while it is still frozen; in that way it stays colder longer. It is very important to remember a "full cooler will maintain its cold temperatures longer than one that is partially filled" (USDA, 2015).

If you are packing a cooler for camping, remember to place the cooler in a shady spot. Once in a shady spot, keep the cooler covered with a blanket, tarp or poncho, preferably one that is light in color to reflect heat.

It also important to remember to have safe fun this summer.

Visit the Extension Office homepage at www.extension.purdue.edu/putnam or you can contact the local Purdue Extension Office by calling 653-8411 for more information regarding this week's column topic or to RSVP for upcoming events.

It is always best to call first to assure items are ready when you arrive and to RSVP for programs. While many publications are free, some do have a fee.

Upcoming Events

July 14 -- Arranging gardening flowers, Putnam County Public Library, 6 p.m.

July 17-25 -- Putnam County 4-H Fair.