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CNN Live Today

Tips on Summer Grilling

Aired May 27, 2002 - 11:22   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer. So, of course, Americans are firing up that grill today.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now live from Decatur, Georgia. She is armed with a few safety tips. A lot of pressure on you now, Elizabeth. It's getting close to lunch here on the East Coast. People are going to be waiting for that advice.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. everyone -- I'm getting hungry now. Everyone must be getting hungry.

The last thing you want to have happen on a summer day is to end the day clutching your stomach because you've gotten food poisoning. So we have a couple of tips for you. It actually starts even before you get to the grill.

When you go shopping, put the meat in plastic bags alone. Don't mix it up with other food. When you marinate, marinate in the refrigerator, not on the countertop. When you travel, put the meat in a cooler. And when you grill, use a thermometer. Not many people do, but you need to use a thermometer. Burgers need to get up to 160 degrees; chicken breasts, 170 degrees.

Now the USDA has been telling people for years that they need to do this. They've even developed these cute little characters, Thermy the thermometer, those kinds of things. And people really aren't listening very hard. In fact, only about three percent of Americans use thermometers when they cook.

Now, let's take a look at some of the thermometers that you can get. They're much better than they used to be. This is sort of the traditional kind. You can use that. There's also sort of these new fangled kind, where you stick it in, it turns red when it's done, black if it's still not done.

You can also use these little forks here that have an actual digital readout. That's pretty cool. There's also this kind here, where you stick it in and the light goes up rare, medium rare. It goes all the way up.

Now it's interesting, we did this earlier. This one is not going to get all the way up to poultry. Even though this breast looks really done, it's actually not done. It is still pink in the middle. You wouldn't know it from looking at the outside. So the bottom line here is, use a thermometer, don't go by what your eyes are telling you.

OSBORN: Elizabeth, will anybody be able to take those burgers off your hands back on the grill?

COHEN: Absolutely. Are you hungry now, Kris?

OSBORN: I could use one. Thank you very much, Elizabeth Cohen, live in Decatur, Georgia.

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