Food Safety Tips for the Fourth of July

As the 4th of July approaches, cases of foodborne illnesses are surging in the summer season.

Here are some stats from the Ad Council, the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Health and Human Services:

• Incidents of food poisoning surge over the summer months because bacteria multiply faster when it’s warm
• Americans spend $400 million on beef alone for July 4th barbeques
• USDA research shows that 1 out of every 4 hamburgers turns brown before it has reached a safe internal temperature!
• New FDA research done in collaboration with USDA shows that only 23% of Americans who own a food thermometer actually use it when grilling hamburgers
• 48 million Americans (at least 1 in 6) will get sick from foodborne illness this year, resulting in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths

How can families avoid these serious public health threats during the July 4th holiday and summer months when they are at most risk? Just listen to the Founding Fathers, who provide four easy steps to food safety in the attached infographic.

For more tips, go to FoodSafety.gov and check out the "Ask Karen" app, available in English (m.AskKaren.gov) and Spanish (m.PregunteleaKaren.gov), to get access to more than 1,300 answers to food safety questions.