ANN ARBOR, MI (UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN) - Cookouts and bonfires are summer pastimes, and health experts are urging people to enjoy them responsibly.
In addition to the risk of burns from grills and other cooking equipment, the metal wires from grill brushes can be dangerous. Those wires can become embedded in food on the cooktop and send people to the ER with tooth and mouth injuries or even bristles stuck in their throat. Emergency physicians say to take extra care when buying and using a grill brush.
"There's no end of options out there. There's still the older, traditional metal bristle brush. If you're going to use those, you should inspect them regularly. And they're relatively inexpensive—10 to $20. So that's something that you can replace regularly if you see any signs of wear loose bristles. But there's lots of other options, and you can decide what works for you. There are wooden ones, there are some that use pumice stones, there are nylon bristle brushes. There's really no end to options and find one that works for you and your cooking style. And just make sure that you're taking good care of it, so you don't end up with a trip to the ER," said Dr. Brad Uren, University of Michigan Health.
It's estimated that around 1,700 Americans went to the emergency room between 2002 and 2014 for injuries from a wire-bristle grill brush. Doctors also warn about foodborne illness at cookouts, with many people visiting the ER due to eating undercooked meat or food that was left out too long.
