Instructions: Warm weather brings people outside for everything from gardening to grilling.

Theres no doubt that grilling accentuates the natural flavor of food, but warmer temperatures also require extra food safety precautions. Here are some food safety tips to consider for a safe summer of outside cooking: Make meat and poultry shopping last on your grocery list so meats do not sit around in the shopping cart. Pack meat separately in plastic bags. Load into air-conditioned car, not hot trunk. You may want to bring a cooler with ice from home and place perishable food in it for the direct drive home.

Refrigerate meats and poultry immediately after purchase, and keep refrigerated until you are ready to cook. When grilling away from home, keep foods cold in an insulated cooler with ice or ice packs to minimize bacterial growth.

Always thaw frozen meats in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Microwave defrost meat only if the meat will be cooked immediately thereafter. Thaw meats completely so they cook evenly.

Do not re-freeze meats that have been thawed in the microwave (or under cold running water) because of the greater likelihood of bacterial contamination. If you do not plan to cook microwave-defrosted foods, discard.

Wash hands well in hot soapy water before and after handling meat, poultry and seafood. Keep uncooked meat, poultry, seafood and juices from touching other foods, utensils, and surfaces during preparation. Wash all utensils, cutting surfaces, and counters with hot soapy water after contact with uncooked meat, poultry and seafood.

Keep meat-carving boards separate from other cutting boards. Meat cutting boards should be plastic or glass. Wooden cutting boards may be used if they are used exclusively for uncooked meat.

Do not chop vegetables or salad ingredients on the same cutting board used to prepare uncooked meat or seafood unless the board has been thoroughly sanitized between uses. Do not forget to wash the knife between each ingredient cutting to avoid cross contamination.

Always marinate foods in the refrigerator, not on the counter. McCormick(r)

Grill Mates(r) line of marinades lets you create "out-of-this-world"

grilling flavors.

If you plan to baste meat with marinade during cooking, keep a portion of the marinade aside (without putting meat in) or make 2 batches (one for marinating and one for basting). After marinating uncooked meats, poultry or seafood, never reuse marinade as a sauce for cooked foods (unless you boil the marinade first to destroy any bacteria from the uncooked meat).

Never put cooked foods on the same plate that held uncooked food. Use a clean plate to transport cooked food from the grill to serving area.

Some people cook food partially in the microwave oven or stove to reduce grilling time. Holding partially cooked food is not recommended because any bacteria present would not have been destroyed. If you choose to pre-cook meat or poultry, do so immediately before grilling. Never partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking later. Food must be cooked completely to destroy harmful bacteria.

Make sure the grill is hot enough to cook on before putting food on it.

(Check manufacturers directions).

Cook foods to the proper temperature. Just because a food is very brown on the outside may not mean that it is done on the inside. Avoid cutting into grilled meats or poultry to see if they are cooked sufficiently. Cutting meat lets juices and flavor drip away. Always use an instant-read meat thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature. The internal temperature of the meat tells exactly when meats are done. Here are some internal temperature guidelines to doneness: Whole poultry: 180 F
Chicken breast: 170 F
Hamburgers: 160 F
Beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts, and chops: 145-160 F All cuts of pork: 160 F

When reheating take-out foods or cooked meats, like franks, cook to an internal temperature of 165 F or until steaming hot.

Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Keep cooked meats hot by setting them on grill rack to the side of heat source, not directly over heat (to avoid over-cooking). Cooked meat can also be kept hot in a 200 F oven, in a chafing dish or on a warming tray. Never eat anything that has been left outside for more than 2 hours (1 hour in hot weather 90 or higher). Store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer within 2 hours of taking food off the grill. Discard any food left out any longer than this.

Food safety is not hard to do, and its mostly common sense. The most important rules to remember are to keep hot foods hot and cold food cold, and always use a meat thermometer. The old adage of "be safe, not sorry"

rings true for food preparation too. Heres to a summer of good (and safe)

eating on the grill!

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