BATON ROUGE — If you are planning to fire up the grill this Memorial Day, you want to keep food safety in mind.

There are several ways your cookout can turn into a bad situation.

"One of the most important things when we're talking about maintaining food safety is really to make sure that you keep the raw foods separate from the cooked foods," said Beth Czerwony, a registered dietitian in Cleveland, Ohio.

It it important to keep raw meats away from things like fruits and veggies to avoid transferring any harmful bacteria between foods. You can separate cutting boards and knives for the meat you're preparing, or clean your utensils after using them for raw meat.

Remember to wash your hands when handling and preparing food as well. You also want to have a meat thermometer handy, and don't let those burgers sit out too long before you eat them.

"If they're sitting out, and they're not completely cooked, you're going to end up creating a really great arena for some bacteria to grow," Czerwony said.

Cooked food should not sit outside for over one hour on a hot day and no more than two hours at room temperature.