Clean, cook, separate and chill

Clean, cook, separate and chill The days of relaxed entertaining with families and friends gathering around backyard barbecues are upon us. And don't give it to your pets, either. After grocery shopping or when you're on the way to the cottage or a party, keep food cool and refrigerate it as soon as possible after arrival. ". Sanitize countertops and use separate cutting boards for anything that can cross-contaminate, like poultry, raw meats and fish. "Celebrating life, celebrating family, those are so important for family development, early childhood development, all those things. ". "On the other hand, we need due attention to safety, food safety, accident prevention, and that includes barbecue, barbecue burning, falls. Soap and water are perfectly good for washing hands, Williams said. Signs of food poisoning include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. "Don't get too relaxed and leave things sitting out either in the sun or on a counter while you're trying to assemble the family," Williams said. "If you leave the potato salad out all afternoon, you know what? Bye, bye. If a grease fire occurs, turn off burners and fuel source, close the lid and let the fire burn out on its own. Baking soda is also a good option for controlling a grease fire. If you burn yourself, run the area that's affected under cool water for five minutes. Cook food thoroughly at the correct temperatures. You may not see, smell or taste them, but harmful organisms can multiply swiftly in the danger zone between 4C and 60C (40F and 140F). Position your grill in an open area away from enclosures and overhangs, for ventilation and safety reasons. "If it's a disease of significance where there might be a contaminated food product that you've brought into your home that we need to sort out and trace back, then that's where public health becomes involved," Williams said. Before firing up your barbecue for the season, grilling specialist Ted Reader advises cleaning out particles, dust and cobwebs that may have built up over the winter. Clean burner ports to be certain they're free of dirt and rust. "There are many safety elements that most folks forget to check, and can potentially be very risky," Reader said in a release. Here are some more tips from Reader to be sure a safe barbecuing season: Check that connections are tight and that there are no leaks. Rusty, damaged propane tanks should be replaced. Anyone is susceptible to food poisoning, but young children, pregnant women, people over age 60 and those with compromised immune systems may be more at risk based on other illnesses or treatments. The result of improper handling or preparation of food can be a nasty bout of food poisoning. To avoid having illness haunt you or your guests after a party or other event, just remember four key points: clean, cook, separate and chill, said Williams, who is located in Toronto. Clean, cook, separate and chill Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 16/05/2012