Dr. Mallika Marshall for CBS4 Boston reports that for many of us, Memorial Day marks the traditional start of the summer picnic and cookout season.Unfortunately, thousands of Americans become sick from food poisoning every year.
“When you’re at BBQ’s or family events the kids are running around, it’s very easy to get distracted and the other thing is the temperature being warmer in the summer, folks are not conscious of that and they are leaving food out and it’s spoiling faster,” said Michele DeBiasse, a registered dietician.
But the good news is that there are some easy ways to prevent foodborne illness.

Be sure to store raw meat away from other foods at temperatures below 40 degrees and wash your hands or any utensils that have touched raw food to avoid cross-contamination.
Always wash any plate or platter that has come in contact with raw food, before placing cooked food on it.
Be sure to use a grill thermometer to make sure that you are cooking foods thoroughly enough and never leave a grill unattended once it’s lit or try to move it while it’s still hot.