Yellowknife, NWT – With summer and barbecue season upon us, Health Canada is reminding people to practice grill safety.
They say undercooked meat or foods that come into contact with raw meat can result in foodborne illnesses.
Health Canada estimates one in eight people will get sick from food poisoning every year in the country.
Environmental Health Officer Jeremy Roberts with the G.N.W.T’s Department of Health and Social Services says raw meat should be stored properly.
“If you’re going to be keeping it cold, you want to make sure it’s at 4 degrees Celsius. That temperature is cold enough to keep any bacteria from growing. You can either keep it in your fridge or a cooler with ice or ice packs in it so it’s kept cold.”
Roberts says meat should be cooked to a temperature of 74 degrees Celsius.
He says colour alone is not an indicator of cooked meat, and that meat can turn brown before dangerous bacteria that may be present are killed.
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