Food Lion Offers Memorial Day Grilling Safety Tips

Public Company Information:
OTCQX: ADRNY

SALISBURY, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ahead of Memorial Day weekend, Food Lion is offering tips to help customers safely prepare, handle, cook and store their favorite meat and poultry items this weekend.

Safety tips for handling and preparing raw meat and poultry include:

• Wash your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat.
• Keep fresh meat and poultry refrigerated at 40°F at all times for safety.
• Avoid the “Danger Zone!” Bacteria can grow rapidly between 40 to 140°F.
• Make sure meat is thawed completely before cooking. Also, be sure to keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to cook.
• Store perishables, including leftovers, in the refrigerator or a cooler. Use ice or gel packs inside the cooler to keep food cold.
• Do not allow any perishable food to stay unrefrigerated for more than two hours, or one hour when the outside temperature is over 90°F.
• Trim excess fat from meat to prevent fire and grease flare-ups.
• Marinate foods in the refrigerator using a glass or plastic food-safe container to keep them at the proper temperature.

Safety tips for grilling meat and poultry include:

• Clean all grilling utensils and plates before you begin grilling.
• Clean cutting boards and grilling utensils in hot, soapy water between every use.
• Use separate cutting boards for meat and vegetables.
• Make sure your grill is hot enough to cook your food. Whether your grill is charcoal or gas, always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.
• Use a meat thermometer to ensure your meat and poultry is thoroughly cooked.
  • The USDA recommends safe minimum internal temperatures of 145°F for pork, beef, steaks and chops, 160°F for ground pork and beef and 165°F for turkey and chicken. Hotdogs should be served steaming hot.
• After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it hot at 140°F or warmer until it’s served. If at home, cooked meat and poultry can be kept hot in an oven set at approximately 200°F.
• After your food is cooked, use a new, clean plate to place the food on.
• Discard marinades and sauces that have come in contact with raw meat juices.

Safety tips for storing leftovers include:

• Leftovers should be refrigerated promptly after cooking.
• Throw away all perishable foods that have been left at room temperature for more than 2 hours (one hour if the outside temperature is over 90°F, such as at an outdoor picnic during summer).
• Leftover meat and poultry can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days, or frozen for three to four months.
• Divide leftovers into smaller portions. Immediately refrigerate or freeze in covered shallow containers for faster cooling.
• Reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F, as measured with a food thermometer.

Safety tips were provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). For a complete list of grilling safety tips, click here.

About Food Lion

Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, has more than 1,000 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 63,000 associates. By leveraging its longstanding heritage of low prices and convenient locations, Food Lion is working to own the easiest full shop grocery experience in the Southeast, anchored by a strong commitment to affordability, freshness and the communities it serves. Through Food Lion Feeds, the company has committed to provide 500 million meals to individuals and families in need by the end of 2020. Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Royal Ahold Delhaize Group. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com.

 

Contact:

Food Lion
Matt Harakal, 704-310-2858
matthew.harakal@foodlion.com