The 4th of July is all about the fun and the feast, until you start feeling very unwell.
"Each year, we have 3,000 deaths of foodborne illness," said Kenneth King from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.
He said a safe barbecue sizzle begins long before your food hits the grill. If you're marinating meats, do that in the fridge.
"If it's sitting out too long, that's when that bacteria is going to grow into the food, and that can get us sick," he said
During food prep, keep meat and poultry completely separate from fruits and veggies. Wash knives and use different cutting boards. And keep them apart on the grill.
"Once your meat is fully cooked, then your vegetables will be fine," said King.
And remember the marinade you put your meat in? Discard it or boil it before basting it on cooked food, and don't re-use the raw meat platter.
"People make the mistake of placing the same cooked meat on that plate that had raw meat. This is going to get you sick," he said.
Besides a sturdy spatula, the most important grilling tool is a meat thermometer. Keep clear of any bones.
"The bone will give an inaccurate reading," King said
Chicken wings need to hit 165 degrees. The government offers a chart on the various internal temperatures that every type of meat needs to meet.
Now that you're good with the grill, make sure your entire spread stays safe with this rule.
"Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold," he said.
To do this, bring chafing dishes, slow cookers, coolers and keep fresh ice under trays of potato salad. Two hours out on a table is the usual rule, but on hot summer days, King says that time is cut in half. And if you're planning to use a smoker, don't use frozen meats and check your numbers.
"For your smoker, your thermometer needs to be set to 225 degrees internally to 300 degrees inside of the smoker," said King.
He added that foodborne illness sends 128,000 Americans to the hospital every year. Certain groups are more susceptible.
"Toddlers, pregnant mothers, people with compromised immune systems, elderly people. So it's just a matter of keeping everyone safe."