Health department gives cooking out safety tips

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – With the Fourth of July weekend upon us, many will be eating and preparing food outdoors.

The Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department warms that people should take extra precaution whenever eating food made not in an indoor kitchen. Jason Tilton, who is a public health sanitarian for the health department, says bring your thermometer anytime you cook outdoors.

“I want to advise people to cook food to proper temperature as stated in the Ohio food code,” said Tilton. "Hamburgers require to be cooked at 155 degrees Fahrenheit. Chicken is recommended at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re in doubt, cook everything to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Tilton warns those who are going to be spending a lot of time outdoors that keeping food cold before cooking is just as important as cooking it to the right temperature.

“Another thing we want people to be aware of is the fact that if you’re going to be outside this weekend, make sure your cooler has plenty of ice to keep the food at 41 degrees or lower before you cook it to reduce the chance of having foodborne illness or outbreak,” said Tilton.

Tilton says for more information about food safety you can visit the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department website at www.zmchd.org.