As you host or attend summer cookouts and barbecues where gas grills are going and summer salads line picnic tables, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) shares some tips to keep your celebrations safe.
The bacteria that can cause foodborne illness grows between 40 F and 140 F — also known as the “Danger Zone.”
If you plan to keep perishable foods on the table for more than two hours (or one hour in temperatures above 90 F), keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold to avoid the Danger Zone.
Keep hot foods heated at or above 140 F with chafing dishes or preheated grill.
Keep cold foods chilled at or below 40 F by placing them on bowls of ice or keeping them inside a cooler near the picnic table.
If you want to see how quickly food can enter the danger zone, check out this time lapse video.
*Make sure to check out the food thermometer*