Carlisle, PA  Ready, set and fire up those grills! May is National Barbecue Month and marks the kick-off to the summer grilling season. GIANT Food Stores and MARTIN'S Food Markets want to make sure customers' next barbecue is a safe one by keeping food safety top of mind when grilling.

The best way to know if meat is cooked thoroughly is to use a meat thermometer and check that it's the proper temperature. Before removing from the grill, insert a meat thermometer halfway into the thickest part of the meat, making sure it does not go through to the other side. The thermometer should give a reading in about 15-20 seconds.

All hamburgers made with ground beef need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 160oF to avoid harmful bacteria such as E. coli. Cooking ground beef until the pink is gone is not always an indicator of thorough cooking. Ground beef can still be pink inside and cooked to a safe 160oF, so color is not always a true indicator. Ground and whole poultry should be cooked to 165oF and chops, steaks and roasts from beef, veal or lamb are properly cooked at 145oF for medium rare, 160oF for medium and 170oF for well done. Make sure the meat thermometer reads 150oF for chops and roast from pork.

And when preparing your meats before throwing on the grill, marinate foods in the refrigerator, not on the counter or outdoors. If the marinade is to be used as a sauce on the cooked food, keep some of it in a separate container before adding the raw meat, poultry or seafood. Sauce used to marinate raw meat should never be reused.

If you partially cook food in the microwave or oven to reduce grilling time, do so immediately before food goes on the hot grill. Always use a clean plate and clean utensils. Cooked food should not be placed on the same plate that previously held raw foods, including meat, poultry, seafood or eggs.

Remember to refrigerate any leftovers promptly after serving and within two hours after cooking. Food should only be outside one hour when the temperature is above 90oF. When in doubt, throw it out. It's better to be safe than sorry, any day. Leftovers should be reheated until steaming before serving.

For additional grilling and food safety tips, stop into your local GIANT or MARTIN'S to speak with a meat department associate or visit www.giantfoodstores.com or www.martinsfoods.com.

About GIANT/MARTIN'S The Giant-Carlisle Division of Ahold USA, headquartered in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, is a leading supermarket chain in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia with grocery stores operating under the names of GIANT Food Stores and MARTIN'S Food Markets. GIANT and MARTIN'S are proud to work with hundreds of local organizations in the communities they serve and have a long-standing commitment to eradicate hunger and improve the quality of life for children. For more information, visit www.GiantFoodStores.com and www.MartinsFoods.com.