COLUMBIA – Here’s a quick quiz on food safety. What could be the dirtiest items in your kitchen?

The answer might surprise you.

As summer approaches, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control cautions that the potential for foodborne illnesses can rise along with the outdoor temperatures.

“The risk of foodborne illness rises with warm weather and when foods meant to be kept within a certain temperature range are allowed to warm for long periods of time,” said Sandra Craig, director of DHEC’s Division of Food Protection. “Other hazards can also be found in home kitchens.”

Craig said the potentially dirtiest parts of a kitchen are refrigerator handles, can opener blades, dish towels, aprons, sponges, counters and cutting boards.

“Cross-contamination of bacteria from any of these sources can result in a foodborne illness, making an unpleasant ending to your day,” Craig said. “Potentially hazardous foods are abundant at most cookouts, from ground beef burgers and grilled or fried chicken to cut melons, all of which can support bacterial growth if precautions are not taken. Even if bacteria are not present when you begin, they can grow quickly if conditions are right.”

For those who enjoy oysters, Craig suggests planning oyster roasts for friends and family instead of enjoying the feast on half-shells.

“Raw shellfish can pose a risk to people who have weakened immune systems,” she said.

Craig said to cut the risk for contaminating foods with bacteria from other sites, individuals should remember to clean surfaces, wash hands well, cook items thoroughly, separate food to avoid cross-contamination and chill those items that require it.

n Clean counters, handles, utensils, platters and thermometers. Use a solution that kills bacteria and keep the surfaces you touch most often wiped clean regularly, especially before each use. Use separate non-porous cutting boards for chicken and beef, and disinfect your hands, utensils, cutting boards, counters, faucets and appliance handles before preparing more food. Use a bleach solution on your sponge, or run it wet through a microwave cycle or dishwasher.

Rely on single-use paper towels to further reduce your risk.

n Wash your hands often with warm to hot soapy water after every chance of contamination. Whether before or after preparing foods, after touching raw foods, using the bathroom, smoking, touching a baby or pet or blowing your nose. Use single-service paper towels to dry your hands. Disinfect any surfaces touched after handling raw meat, such as faucet handles or cutting boards.

n Separate raw, cooked or ready-to-eat foods to prevent cross-contamination. Separate utensils, platters and cutting boards used for raw foods such as chicken, beef and pork, cooked or ready-to-eat foods. Use a fresh platter and utensils to take grilled foods to the grill and another fresh platter and utensils for carrying food from the grill. Wash all platters and utensils used to carry the meat to and from the grill with hot, soapy water or in a dishwasher. Separate raw meats such as chicken, turkey, pork and beef from one another. Do not use the same cooler to store or carry raw items as you do for cooked or ready-to-eat products. Do not use ice for beverages from a cooler used to store raw meats or other foods.

n It is safe to eat rare steaks provided the exterior is seared on a hot grill. Hamburger meat needs to be fully cooked all the way through until all traces of pink are gone and there are only clear juices, if any. Use a clean metal-stem food thermometer, available at many retail stores, with a range of zero to 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook ground beef, veal or pork to an internal temperature of at least 155 F. Cook beefsteak to at least 155 F on the outside of the steak. Cook ground chicken or turkey and whole poultry to an internal temperature of at least 165 F. Cook whole fish fillets to a minimum internal temperature of 145 F. Whole eggs and egg products, including liquid, frozen and dry eggs, along with any food containing eggs or egg products, need to be cooked to heat all parts of the food to 145 F. If combined with meat or poultry, the higher temperatures for meat and poultry need to be used instead of 145 F.

n After cooking potentially hazardous foods to their proper temperatures, do not let the foods fall below 130 F. It is always best to serve hot foods right off the grill, oven or range top after cooking.

n The temperature of potentially hazardous foods such as cooked or raw meats should be kept at 45 F or below when chilled or stored cold. Prepare coolers for keeping foods to be stored cool at 45 F by using ice packs or other approved methods. Potentially hazardous foods that are cooked, but served cold, should be brought quickly to the desired temperature of 45 F or below.

If the food is bulky or in a deep pan, it is best to break the food down into smaller portions to reduce the amount of time it takes to chill it to the desired temperature.

“Harmful bacteria grow most rapidly in what is referred to as the danger zone between 45 degrees Fahrenheit to 130 degrees Fahrenheit,” Craig said. “So it is important to keep food out of that temperature range. Try not to cook or prepare too many food items in order to eliminate leftovers. If you have leftovers, keep them hot at 130 degrees Fahrenheit or above, or keep them cool at 45 degrees Fahrenheit or below when holding in storage. Do not leave food out on the table. Instead, refrigerate the items immediately.”

Craig said it is important to follow these safety tips at home and teach them to children when they are old enough to help around the kitchen.

“Prepare as much food at home as you can before you go to your cookout so you have the advantage of good refrigeration,” she said. “Bring only the foods you think you will need.”

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