Food Safety For The Fourth: How To Avoid Food-Borne Illnesses On Independence Day

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- If you're hosting a cookout today, the CDC has a warning.

If you're making a cold dish with pre-cooked chicken: reheat it before using it.

The warning is because of a listeria outbreak being investigated by the agency's food and safety division.

So far, three people have gotten sick in two states, and one of those people died.

All three cases ate foods served at a long-term care facility or hospital.

Symptoms of listeria include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions -- in addition to fever and muscle aches.

And that warning is a good reminder that food-borne illnesses increase with warmer, humid temperatures.

It's estimated that every year, 48 million Americans get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die from food-borne illnesses.

The USDA says make sure hands and surfaces are clean.

Keep raw meats and other foods separate to prevent cross contamination.

And cook foods to the proper internal temperature, measuring with a meat thermometer.

The agency says to cook raw ground beef, pork, or lamb to 160 degrees and raw poultry to 165.

Do not leave food out for more than 2 hours.