April 17, 2003

Prairie Fare: Safeguard Your Family and Friends from Invisible Pests

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

As gas and charcoal grills come out of storage, pesky mosquitoes and flies gear up to ruin summer parties. While insects are certainly annoying, invisible enemies like bacteria and viruses can cause much greater problems.

Try this little quiz: Which type(s) of bacteria could be associated with grilled meat and poultry?

1. E. coli O157:H7
2. Campylobacter jejuni
3. Salmonella

The answer is "all of them" and many others, too.

While E. coli O157:H7 is most associated with undercooked ground beef, outbreaks have also been linked with fresh fruits (including melon), vegetables, unpasteurized apple juice, raw milk and contaminated water. Symptoms include diarrhea, cramps and nausea, which may begin two to five days after the food is eaten and last eight or more days. Kidney failure and death also have been associated with E. coli infections.

Campylobacter jejuni is found in raw milk, untreated water and the intestinal tracts of animals and birds. Eating undercooked meat and poultry or drinking contaminated water or unpasteurized milk contaminated with Campylobacter can lead to flu-like symptoms within two to five days. Who likes to get diarrhea, abdominal pain and nausea that may last up to 10 days?

Salmonella is usually associated with undercooked poultry, meat, seafood and eggs, but fresh produce and properly cooked foods can also become contaminated through food handling errors. Symptoms like stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, chills, fever and headache may appear eight to 72 hours after eating and last one to two days. Some research is showing a link between Salmonella and later development of arthritis.

Here are some tips to help ensure safe grilling and help keep all these invisible enemies at bay. Controlling the mosquitoes and flies, however, is another challenge.

• Pick up fresh meat, poultry and other perishable items last at the grocery store. Prevent cross-contamination by wrapping meat in a plastic bag and keeping away from fresh produce and ready-to-eat items.
• If fresh ground meat or poultry won’t be used in one or two days, freeze in meal-size portions.
• Thaw frozen meat and poultry in the refrigerator or seal in plastic bags and place in cold water. If thawed in the microwave, immediately cook to recommended internal temperatures.
• Wash hands, utensils and work surfaces carefully.
• Marinate in the refrigerator. If the marinade is to be a dipping sauce, reserve some for that purpose.
• Use a food thermometer to check doneness. Ground beef should reach an internal temperature of 160 F, and chicken breasts, 170 F.
• Remember the two-hour rule. Perishable food should spend no more than 2 hours in the temperature danger zone (40 to 140 degrees F).

Next time you grill, prepare some extra chicken for this flavorful and colorful salad.

Grilled Chicken and Fruit Salad

4 c. diced grilled marinated chicken (without skin)
1 15-oz. can pineapple chunks
1 c. celery, chopped
1 11-oz. can mandarin oranges
1/2 c. pitted ripe olives, sliced
1/2 c. green pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp. grated onion
1 c. light salad dressing or mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. mustard (brown or yellow)
15-oz. pkg. chow mein noodles
Lettuce leaves

Marinate chicken in teriyaki sauce or other marinade two hours or more; grill to an internal temperature of 170 degrees. Slice chicken and refrigerate. In large bowl, combine cold chicken, drained pineapple, celery, oranges, olives, green pepper and onion. Blend salad dressing or mayonnaise and mustard; toss gently with chicken mixture. Cover and chill several hours. Just before serving mix in chow mein noodles. Place salad on lettuce-lined serving bowl.

Makes 8 servings. Each serving contains 360 calories, 17 grams fat, 2.4 grams fiber and 29 grams carbohydrate.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu

[Editors: We’ve updated the illustrated column identifier for Julie Garden-Robinson’s Prairie Fare column. If you’re using an older version or if you would like to use the identifier, please download this printable EPS file. Prairie Fare (142 Kb eps file)]