Never relax food safety techniques

Heat, especially during the summer, can cause bacteria to multiply rapidly. For that reason, it’s important to keep foods either very hot, or very cold, right up to the moment of serving. Follow these tips for food safety:

• Make sure your refrigerator or cooler keeps your foods at temperatures that are no higher than 4° C or 40° F.
  
  
• Don't partially precook meat or poultry before serving or transporting to another location. If it must be precooked, cook until done, and then chill it before packing it in a cooler.
  
  
• When transporting food in a cooler, place the cooler inside the car instead of in the trunk which may get hot. If taking the cooler outdoors, make sure to keep it in the shade.
  
  
• Be sure hamburgers are cooked right through to “medium-wellâ€� so that the meat is not pink and no red juices are visible.
  
  
• Cook ground poultry to an internal temperature of 74° C or 165° F and poultry parts to 82° C 180° F.
  
  
• Always marinade meats in the refrigerator.
  
  
• Although marinades make your meat taste great, do not re-use a marinade. For a tasty sauce to compliment the meal, boil unused marinade for at least three minutes timed from the start of a full boil.