For those of us getting ready for a big cookout or dinner out on the town, this is a really helpful article.  The Los Angeles Times brings us some helpful reminders of food hygiene for cookouts, including eating food within two hours of preparation and making sure we keep foods at their appropriate temperatures - in other words, hot foods should stay hot and cold foods should stay cold.  Also, there is a mention of mayonnaise since it seems to be the culprit of many food-borne illnesses.  Stick with commercially prepared mayo since it has enough acid (vinegar) to keep bacteria in check.  If you are planning to travel and go out to dinner, this article has a website that will allow you to check out the health inspection record of many restaurants in the United States.  If your chosen feeding spot is not listed, then you should ask the manager for the latest inspection report.  What to do if no report is available?  Read on…

Donna Garren of the National Restaurant Association says to check out the bathroom.  If the restroom is kept up well, it is likely that the kitchen is too. 

For more info, check out the full text of the article.  Happy Independence Day!