Summertime brings colorful fruits and vegetables, grilled meats — and sickness, if you’re not careful.
Knowing how to prepare, store and cook summer foods can help keep you and your family safe.
In addition to washing your fruits and veggies, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends you store food properly.
For example, according to the FDA, meat and dairy products should never be allowed to remain at room temperature for more than two hours. This rule changes to one hour if the room temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
The FDA also recommends cooking meat at these temperatures:
- Beef, pork and lamb: 145 degrees Fahrenheit with a three-minute rest time
- Ground meats: 160 degrees Fahrenheit
- Whole poultry, poultry breasts and ground poultry: 165 degrees Fahrenheit
FoodSafety.gov has additional tips for summertime.
The Wellness LiteBlue page also has information, including instructions for signing up for the Wellness e-newsletter.