If you're planning to BBQ at your picnic or enjoy a grilled meal in your own backyard, keep in mind a few facts about preparing and cooking meat to ensure food safety:

• Completely thaw meat and poultry before grilling so that it cooks evenly. Use the refrigerator for slow, safe thawing. If using the microwave for thawing, be sure to grill the thawed food immediately.

• Marinade in the fridge, not on the counter or alongside the grill.

• Place uncooked and cooked food on separate plates to avoid contamination.

• Keep food in the fridge until there is room on the grill to minimize the time that food is left unrefrigerated before it gets cooked.

• For poultry, it should be cooked well and the temperature should reach 74° C/165° F or higher. Slice the meat to ensure there are no signs of pink.

• Be sure to cook hamburgers and other ground meat well. There should be no pink colour and any juices should be clear.

• Serve cooked meat and poultry immediately once cooked. These foods should not be left out of the refrigerator for more than one hour.