Courtney Klemm of the Herald & Review (Decatur, IL) reports that as family and friends gather around in anticipation of juicy burgers and bratwursts, it may seem there is not a care in the world, but grilling has its health risks, nutrition experts say.
“One of the biggest concerns that people may not practice is making sure everything is cooked to the proper temperature,” said Jananne Finck, University of Illinois Extension educator in nutrition and wellness. “Also, use the two-hour rule: Perishable foo ds should not be out for longer than two hours in room temperature. When food is sitting in the outdoors temperature, the two-hour rule decreases to just one hour.”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, outdoor-grilled hamburgers represent more than 30 percent of all hamburgers consumed at home. Outdoor grilling may be riskier, however, because patties that sit outdoors before grilling warm quickly, provid ing an opportunity for bacteria growth, and cooked hamburgers may become cross-contaminated if they are put on a plate that held raw patties.
Researchers at Kansas State University have also found that ground beef browns at different rates, so browning alone, which was long considered the means of determining ground beef to be cooked, is no longer an accurate indicator of doneness.