Summer time arrives, and my husband brings out the barbecue rub, starts cleaning the grill and dreams up new recipes he can concoct for chicken and pork.

One thing I can count on: He’s really careful about food safety. The hot weather is perfect for cooking up foodborne illnesses. Nobody wants salmonella and its risk of making your dinner guests ill.

Did you know that a 2014 UC Davis study found the most common risks in home cooking stems from cross-contamination and insufficient cooking? In fact, some findings from the study may surprise you as much as they did my husband.

Presented by Christine Bruhn, UC Cooperative Extension specialist emerita, these tips are meant to keep your guests healthy, happy and coming back for more.

1. Don’t wash your meat

2. But do wash your hands again and again

3. Keep meat cold before it hits the grill

4. Your thermometers are your best friends

5. Know your cooking temperatures

To get a more in-depth education before your next party, read “10 Tips to Keep Summer Grilling Safe.”

Susanne Rockwell, a longtime campus communicator and UC Davis alumna, is web editor for the homesite.