The waitress brings your plate. You have been waiting all day for a juicy piece of meat. You pick up your knife and cut into the meat. As you bring it to your mouth, you smell the delicious aroma. You take a bite and cruuunnnncccchhh. Your meat is overcooked and totally ruined. All you taste are little pieces of black carcinogens that could have easily been scraped from your own grill at home. Ick. Doesn’t sound so appetizing.

Almost everyone has overcooked his or her meat at one time or another. This accidental occurrence is totally understandable. However, many people overcook their meat on a regular basis because of fears relating to pathogens like trichinosis, salmonella and e-coli. This has created an unneeded dislike for meat, particularly red meat. Many feel that the dangers related to consuming red meat are too high and consequently avoid meat all together.

The fear of contracting a disease from undercooked meat can be explained very easily by consulting meat producers’ Web sites at www.iowapork.org and www.iabeef.org. Understanding the real risk is important to your personal safety and your enjoyment of consuming meat.

Pork is most well known for carrying trichinosis, a roundworm. Generally, swine with trichinae have been fed garbage, though that’s not always the case. Trichinosis was a much greater danger back when it was legal for a farmer to go around and pick up garbage from neighbors and feed it to his hogs.

This practice is no longer legal for commercial swine production. Still, it is possible for pork to contain trichinae without the feeding of garbage, and thus, it is important that you safely cook your meat. Pork should be cooked to 155 degrees, according to the National Pork Producers Council.

Beef is notorious for transmitting the pathogens e. coli and salmonella when not properly cooked. Cattle typically naturally have e. coli and salmonella in their intestinal tracts. It does not hurt them, but it hurts humans if the beef is not cooked properly. Both are very dangerous pathogens that can cause extremely serious problems in humans. The Iowa Beef Industry Council suggests that you cook your steak to 145 degrees.

There are other safety procedures besides cooking meat to a certain temperature. The more meat is handled, the less safe it is. Ground pork and beef are handled more often and should be cooked longer than cuts like steak or chops. Ground beef and pork should both be cooked to at least 160 degrees.

Another way to decrease your risk is to buy meat from a local butcher. Usually the animal is brought directly to the butcher and prepared for sale, whereas grocery stores obtain their meat from other commercial sources.

As with any food preparation, it is important to wash your hands and practice clean cooking habits. Wash the plate you use to carry the raw meat out to the grill, and don’t carry cooked meat on the same plate. Wash all knives, cutting boards and other utensils, and do not use the same knives you used on your meat to cut up other things, such as vegetables.

After your meat has been prepared, you have a two-hour window before it must be refrigerated, unless it is being heated constantly. It is best to use up or freeze beef and pork within two days of its purchase.

As you enjoy your juicy steaks and pork chops during this grilling season, remember to prepare pork and beef properly. If you get sick, it’s really not the producer’s fault. The blame lands on your head. After it leaves the shelves, it’s up to you.

Danelle Zellmer is a sophomore in public service and administration in agriculture from Atlantic.