Despite the occasional cold snap, the start of summer seems to have begun and with it, the season of burgers and barbeques. To start people on the right foot, Health Canada is cautioning everyone to take steps to prevent food poisoning when grilling food.
Food poisoning is caused by food-born pathogens such as salmonella or E. coli and can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. In some serious cases, it can even result in death. People often get food poisoning when they don’t handle raw poultry and meats properly or don’t cook said foods well enough.
“The best practice is to not use any utensil or plate that has come into contact with raw meat for cooked food,” said Hélène Couture, chief of the evaluation division in the bureau of microbial hazards for Health Canada. “People should be aware and take precautions so that raw meat will not be in contact with things that will serve the food.”
This means that any utensils or plates that were used for cooking meat should be thoroughly washed before being used to serve cooked food. If using a thermometer to gauge the inner temperature, it should be washed before using on a different meat since it could transfer pathogens.
Speaking of which, Couture also recommends using a thermometer to check when meat is cooked because it’s the safest test. The minimum internal temperature for steak should 63 degrees Celsius and the meat should be turned at least twice to make sure the internal temperature is reached. For ground beef, it should be 71 degrees Celsius.
According to Couture, attempting to ascertain the readiness of meat based on whether or not the juices run clear isn’t always the safest bet. If it’s been frozen, the colour may change at a faster rate while the inside is still not cooked.
“There’s a difference in ground beef versus muscle meat like steak,” said Couture. “With ground beef, the bacteria on the surface gets mixed up. With steak it’s more likely to be on the surface … with mechanically tenderized meat, it may push the bacteria from the surface to inside the meat.”
Couture said the same principles apply for other meats such as pork. If it’s ground up, there’s a greater potential for contamination. She also made a point of warning people away from consuming marinade that has come into contact with raw meat as it could have transferred contaminants. If people want to eat the marinade with their cooked meat, they should set some aside before using it on the raw meat.
Lastly, people can avoid contamination by packing raw meats separately in coolers when travelling so as to avoid the blood and raw juices from leaking onto other food items.
If a person does get food poisoning, symptoms may start to manifest as quickly as a few hours or as long as a few days, depending on the pathogen. If it’s something like listeria, which usually affects pregnant women, it could take a couple of weeks.
“I think it comes down to knowing how to handle raw meat and poultry,” said Couture. “Everyone plays a role in food safety, from the handling of raw meat to (the serving of cooked meat).”
