 People can die from some types of food poisoning. Since most raw meat has been contaminated by harmful microbes in the air, on the farm, during butchering, and in the packaging process, it is helpful to think of all raw meat as poisonous. Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria are the most common contaminants. They are killed when cooked properly.
Bacteria multiply at room temperature. Uncooked meat must be kept cold. If you are cooking outdoors or at a competition, a cooler with ice is fine. If you marinate or brine your meat, it must be kept in a refrigerator or cooler.
Anything touching raw meat becomes contaminated and must be properly cleaned. You must not bring in cooked meat on a platter that carried raw meat out to the grill. Wash all dishes, knives, tongs, and brushes in hot soapy water, preferably a dishwasher.
After you wash meat in the sink you must wash the sink thoroughly. The best disinfectant is chlorine (bleach). Soaps with bleach such as Comet are great for cleaning sinks counters, and cutting boards. Or you can wipe down contaminated surfaces with a dilute chlorine solution. Mix 1/2 gallon of water with 1 ounce of bleach.
You may handle uncooked food with your bare hands but you must first wash your hands past your wrists thoroughly with warm water and soap for 20 seconds by rubbing them vigorously. Pay close attention to the areas under your fingernails. Rinse them thoroughly, dry them with paper towels, and throw the towels away. Do not use reusable cloth towels. When you are done handling meat, you must wash and dry your hands again. Do not handle the refrigerator door handle, drawer knobs, or the faucets with contaminated hands.
If you have a cold or any contagious illness, you should not handle food with your bare hands. You should wear rubber or latex gloves and you should wear a mask. Pull off gloves by grabbing the cuffs and turning them inside out so the outside of the gloves doesn't contaminate your hands.
Cooking must be done at a temperature of 175F or higher. Cook to the proper temperature. This is especially important for chicken, turkey, ground meats, and raw sausage. When the meat is done, if you aren't serving it within 30 minutes, you must keep it warmer than 145F. When handling cooked foods you should use tongs or wear gloves. If cooked meat falls on the ground it should not be washed and used. It should be discarded or washed and then heated to above 150F.
Used marinades are contaminated with raw meat juices. Used mopping sauces are contaminated by the brush. Boiling a marinade or mopping sauce may kill microbes, but spores are not killed by heat, so you cannot use a used marinade as a baste or a dipping sauce. Even if you've boiled it. Be sure to discard a marinade or mopping solution after you're done cooking. You can use a fresh marinade as a mop or a basting sauce, but remember, swabbing meat with a brush or mop and dipping it into the marinade contaminates it. Even if the meat is browning, the juices bubbling to the surface may be contaminated. The best way to baste or aply a barbecue sauce is to spoon, pour, or spritz the liquid onto the meat. Especially if you leave it sitting out during the cook.
So you don't waste sauce by dipping the brush into the bottle, pour the sauce you need into a cup or bowl and dip your brush or spoon into the cup or bowl. When you are done, throw leftover sauce out. Never use it again or serve it. Even if the meat appears to be cooked, uncooked meat juices can get on the brush and then get into the sauce. Use fresh uncontaminated sauce for serving at the table.
Your motto is: When in doubt, throw it out.
Knife safety
Be alert and focused when using knives and sharp objects.
Always use a cutting board. Never cut anything that is in your hand.
A damp towel or paper towel under a cutting board can help keep it from shifting.
Make sure you have plenty of elbow room.
If you drop a knife, don't try to catch it and get your feet out of the way. Wait for the knife to stop moving before trying to pick it up.
Never open cans with a knife.
Never use a knife as a screwdriver.
Grill, smoker, and oven safety
Handle hot grills, coals, and hot liquids with respect. Be alert. No horseplay near cookers. Keep children and pets away from uncooked meat, cookers, hot liquids, and sharp objects.
Use potholders and/or insulated gloves.
Bare feet, sandals, and flip-flops are dangerous around grills and are not recommended.
This page revised 11/7/08.
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