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Whether you are grilling for a group, or just grilling a quick family meal, it's important to follow a few basic safety tips for outdoor grilling and dining.

1. Make sure to clean the grill thoroughly before and after each use. The best way to do this is with a wire brush made specifically for grills. Not only will your food taste better if it isn't exposed to last week's burned on marinade, but you will be reducing the amount of germs and bacteria that can colonize on the remains of old food.

Each time you finish cooking, turn the grill down to a low temperature and leave it on for about ten minutes to burn off as much residue as possible. This will give you a head start on the next cleaning.

2. Never allow cooked food to come into contact with raw food. The raw meat undoubtedly contains bacteria, which will transfer to your cooked food upon contact. The bacteria can grow quickly and cause food poisoning, even though the food itself was already cooked. Any dishes or cooking utensils that have handled raw food must never be used to handle cooked food, until they have been washed with hot water and dish soap.

3. Practice patience while cooking. It is a common grilling mistake to set the heat too high and cook food too fast. The outside of the meat appears to be well-cooked, but the temperature inside the meat has not yet risen high enough to kill off the bacteria present in the meat. The result is potential food poisoning and can be particularly dangerous when cooking poultry.

The only way to be certain of the interior meat temperature is by checking it with a meat thermometer. Make sure to follow the correct cooking times and temperatures as recommended in your recipe.

4. Don't use uncooked marinades as sauces. A marinade is never meant to be poured straight over the cooked food, but rather, is meant to be cooked with the food. The marinade itself is a potential breeding ground for bacteria and should never be served without having been properly heated.

5. If using a gas grill, inspect it carefully before using. You should look for cracking, brittleness, holes and leaks in the gas tubing, while making sure there are no sharp bends in the tubing.

By following these easy tips, you can make sure your next grilling party ends with a toast to the cook, and not a trip to the hospital.

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Written By: Barb Dearing

Dearing is an online writer specializing in family topics. For the best in outdoor grill equipment, she recommends the following site: Stainless Steel Gas Grills