AUSTIN, Minn- Many of you will be firing up your grill for this fourth of July weekend. Before you start there are a couple of things to keep in mind to prevent food poisoning.

Cory Hillesheim grilled Thursday for his family and friends at the Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park. Hillesheim hobby has earned him the name the grill master. The Mankato man says before he starts the grill he makes sure to clean the area.

“If you use the grill that some campgrounds have you have to make sure its really clean,” Hillesheim said. “At the campgrounds grill, you don't know what was stored on it before.”

Another potential risk for food poisoning is how leftovers are stored.
Hillesheim says, for the most part, he doesn’t have problems with leftovers because his family and friends love his food.

“You grill it and then eat it,” Hillesheim said. “I grill just enough so we usually don’t have leftovers but if we do we throw it in the fridge right away."

According to the United States Department of Agriculture after cooking meat and poultry its important to keep it hot 140°F (60°C) until served. Keep cooked meats hot by putting it on the grill rack and not on the grill to prevent it from overcooking.