Extreme temperatures and food can be dangerous combination

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The Fourth of July Holiday Weekend is officially here, and for many people the celebrations include food. Whether it’s a picnic, family cookout, or grabbing a plate from a vendor at one of the many public celebrations.

Of course, we’re also in the middle of a heatwave, and the extreme temperatures and food can be a dangerous combination.

Everybody wants to have a good time this Fourth of July weekend, but if you’re planning on enjoying your favorite foods outdoors, you need to take some precautions to make sure your celebration doesn’t move from the backyard to the E.R.

During a heatwave, it’s important to avoid leaving perishable food items outside or at room temperature for extended periods. The high heat accelerates bacterial growth, increasing the risk of foodborne illnesses. Keep foods properly chilled or heated to minimize the danger.

Mississippi State University Food Science professor, Dr. Wes Schilling, said to keep an eye on how long your potato salad and cole slaw sit out.

“You do not want to leave perishable food out for longer than two hours at room temperature. At that point, you want to throw it away, and that’s based on USDA and FDA and what they tell you. But when it’s hot like it is now almost 100 degrees, you don’t want to leave it out for more than an hour. If you leave it out for more than an hour, you’ll have an increased risk of foodborne contaminations and bacteria growth,” said Schilling.

When it’s time to season your ribs, burgers, chicken, and other meats, Schilling said to be sure to season your meats in a cool, refrigerated environment.

“You always want to marinate it in the refrigerator. You don’t want to marinate it outside of your refrigerator on the counter you generally want to do that overnight that’ll keep it cold then after that, you want to go to the grill, and when you go to the grill you want to make sure you cook it to a warm enough temperature and then you need to keep it warm before people eat it. You don’t want it to cool down into the danger zone,” said Schilling.

He said that the danger zone is considered between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit so once you’ve cooked it you want to keep it over that 140 degrees until people are ready to eat it.

The experts also said to remember to choose foods less prone to spoilage, keep perishable items properly chilled, and avoid leaving food outside or at room temperature for too long.

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