With backyard barbecue season entering its peak, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking a proactive approach towards reducing the number of people sickened from food handling mistakes each year.

The new campaign focuses on four essential steps for safe food:

• clean surfaces and utensils; 
• separate raw meats from other foods; 
• cook foods to the proper temperature;
• keep perishable foods chilled.

Part of the campaign is a series of television spots that demonstrate these steps with a bit of humor. You can watch them on YouTube.