How Not to Poison the Guests at Your 4th of July BBQ

Hosting a Fourth of July barbecue this year? If so, there are a few things you should know.

Not to take the fun out of the party, but one in six Americans will contract a food-borne illness this year - and, when dealing with raw meat for a barbecue, the situation can be ripe with chances to spread one.

This Fourth of July the Ad Council, the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Health and Human Services are letting the Founding Fathers do the talking with a unique public service message that aims to share the four easy steps to food safety. See the photo with this article for a visual.

George Washington says…CLEAN

John Adams says…SEPARATE

Thomas Jefferson says…COOK

Benjamin Franklin says…CHILL

Yes - clean, separate, cook and chill. It’s as simple as that.

As Independence Day approaches, cases of foodborne illnesses are surging in the summer season, say members of the three organizations. Here are some key stats to ponder:

• Incidents of food poisoning surge over the summer months because bacteria multiply faster when it’s warm.
• Americans spend $400 million on beef alone for July 4th barbeques each year.
• USDA research shows that one out of every four hamburgers turns brown before it has reached a safe internal temperature!
• New FDA research done in collaboration with the USDA shows that only 23 percent of Americans who own a food thermometer actually use it when grilling hamburgers.
• 48 million Americans - at least one in six - will get sick from food-borne illnesses this year, resulting in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.

And have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Learn more at foodsafety.gov.

Don’t forget to tell your friends on Facebook, Twitter and email.