As Americans prepare to fire up their grills for the Fourth of July, could a mouthwatering burger send you to the hospital?
It certainly can, but it has nothing to do with meat quality, according to some experts.
The wire brushes used to clean barbecues and grills could be pose a dangerous health risk, home improvement expert Ron Hazelton says.
He pointed out to Inside Edition that if a brush has been used for a while, the bristles can potentially break off and become stuck on the grates.
"The food that is then put on the grill picks up the bristle and it's ingested, and that can cause some fairly serious problems," Hazelton said.
A single bristle can show up on an MRI as seen in a Consumer Reports video obtained by Inside Edition.
The wire bristles can also puncture the esophagus and stomach.
To ensure safety around the barbecue, there are alternatives to the bristle brush, including a coiled brush. Hazelton recommends a pumice stone to clean the grill.
“It’s abrasive enough to take off the food," he said.
A putty knife or scraper can also do the job. Aluminum foil is also effective. Simply ball it up and rub away.
And if you have an extra onion lying around after the burgers are gone, the vegetable's acid can remove food particles. All you have to do is rub it on the grates.
But if you insist on using a wire brush, hover a magnet over the grill to attract any rogue bristles and keep them out of your food.
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