USDA: Steer clear of the “danger zone” this summer
As millions of Americans celebrate the Memorial Day weekend, grills will be firing up across the US. With the warm weather, more summer cookouts are right around the corner and USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is urging consumers to remember the four simple steps to food safety - Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill - and to steer clear of the ‘danger zone’ while cooking outdoors.
“This Memorial Day weekend and all summer long, I encourage families to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors and the variety of food America’s farmers are able to provide,” says Al Almanza, deputy under secretary for food safety. “It’s important to remember that bacteria grow faster in the same warm temperatures, so extra care should be taken to make sure perishable food doesn’t spend too long in the danger zone. That is temperatures between 40 and 140˚F when perishable food spoils rapidly. Foods that should be served hot or cold should not spend more than one hour in the danger zone when temperatures are above 90˚F, and two hours when temperatures are below 90˚F.”