RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A significant number of Americans will be firing up their backyard grills this Thursday for Independence Day and the Richmond-Henrico Health District (RHHD) is reminding Virginians to stay safe while doing so. Kirsten Dobson, RHHD's Environmental Health Supervisor and Fourth of July Cookout Expert says that safety on the grill begins before the propane tank even turns on -- it's important to store raw meat and refrigerated food property in order to avoid exposure to pathogens, especially outside in high temperatures. Also, the order in which you cook your food on the grill is important in order to avoid cross-contamination. First, cook all non-proteins on the grill -- Dobson recommends avocado alongside corn and peppers. Next, grill burgers, chicken and hot togs in order to prevent contamination of your vegetables. Once the meat is done cooking, switch utensils as you go from raw to ready-to-eat and use a meat thermometer to make sure your food has been prepared safely and don't leave any food out for more than four hours. 145 degrees Seafood Steaks or chops of beef, pork, veal and lamb Commercially raised game Raw shell eggs 155 degrees Ground beef or pork injected meat Ground seafood 165 degrees Whole or ground chicken, turkey or duck Stuffing made from dish, meat or poultry Stuffed meat, seafood, poultry or pasta