Play It Safe at Father's Day and July 4th Cookouts  Dont Put It On the Bun Until Its Done

Carlisle, PA  GIANT Food Stores reminds everyone to play it safe this Fathers Day and 4th of July by using a food thermometer and following the four Fight Bac! Rules.

Hamburgers are one of the most frequently grilled foods. How do you tell if a burger has reached the safe internal temperature of 160 degrees F? You cant go by color, says Larry Kohl, director of food safety for GIANT, Color can be misleading. USDA research shows that one out of every four hamburgers turns brown in the middle before it is safely cooked. Thats why GIANT labels all ground beef packages with cooking instructions to use a thermometer or T-Stick and cook to 160 degrees F. Using a disposable T-stick or a food thermometer is the only way to tell if meat and poultry are safely cooked. GIANT has a variety of food thermometers available in all stores.

Follow the four Fight Back! Rules and put them into practice at your cookout:

Clean  wash hands, food surfaces and utensils often with hot soapy water. Separate  dont cross contaminate by using plates or utensils for raw and cooked food. Use a clean plate for those cooked burgers coming off the grill. Chill  keep foods in the refrigerator or a cooler filled with ice. Cook to proper temperatures  use a thermometer to get to the right temperature and not overcook.

Using fat free or no oil marinades adds flavor and tenderizes, too. But remember; marinate in the refrigerator  not on the counter. Dont reuse marinade from raw meat, fish or poultry unless you boil it.

Sauces with sugar, honey or preserves can cause sauce to burn on the meats exterior before the meat inside can cook. To avoid burning the meat, wait until the last 5 or 10 minutes of grilling to brush on sweet sauces.

A long-handled brush is the safest tool for applying your sauce. After every cookout, clean it in hot, sudsy water or in the dishwasher.

Bring clean utensils and platters outside. Put cooked meat, fish or poultry on a different platter than one with any raw juices.

Keep perishable salads and sandwiches with meat, eggs or seafood in a cooler with gel packs or ice. Dont leave out in the summer sun for more than one hour.

More information about food safety is on GIANTs website, www.giantpa.com.

About GIANT Food Stores

Giant Food Stores, LLC, headquartered in Carlisle, PA is one of six retail operating companies under Ahold USA, one of the leading supermarket operations in the US. Giant currently operates 99 stores as Giant Food Stores, 161 stores as Tops Markets, 18 stores as Martins Food Markets along with a 204 convenience store chain. With nearly 40,000 associates Giant serves a six state market area. For more information about Giant Food Stores, visit the companys website at www.giantpa.com.