A Spice That's Extra Nice

Adding chopped cilantro to your burgers may give your meat mixture a microbe-fighting boost.

Cooking your meats to an appropriate temperature is the best way to protect against food-borne illness. However, fresh cilantro appears to have antibacterial properties that may help inhibit salmonella, a common cause of food poisoning. Other burger-friendly spices that fight microbes include cinnamon and oil of oregano.

To kill any microbes in your meat, you must cook it to an appropriate temperature. Burgers made from ground beef should be cooked to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Ground turkey or chicken mixtures should be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Chicken or turkey breasts should be cooked to 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Invest in a meat thermometer to keep your family safe during festive cookouts.

Antibacterial activity of coriander volatile compounds against Salmonella choleraesuis. Kubo, I., Fujita, K., Kubo, A., Nihei, K., Ogura, T., Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 2004 Jun 2;52(11):3329-3332.