How can I avoid food poisoning during barbecues (BBQs) and summer events?
The main points to consider are: · Cross-contamination of raw and ready-to-eat foods. Assume all raw meat is contaminated, but adequate cooking will destroy any viable bacteria. If raw meat touches food that does not require cooking e.g. salad, this food may become dangerous as any bacteria present will not be killed. Keep all raw meat totally separate, use different work surfaces and utensils and clean and disinfect regularly. · Temperature control. Keep all high risk foods chilled in a fridge until needed for cooking or to be eaten. Don’t let cooked food sit at room temperature, either chill it down or keep it hot. · Cooking – Properly cook foods like sausage and chicken. This should be done slowly to make sure the middle is cooked as well as the outside. Just because it looks burnt on the outside does not mean it is cooked throughout. It is a good idea to partially cook high risk foods in the oven and finish them off on the BBQ to get the flavour. · Further information can be obtain
Food poisoning can often be caused due to bad practices at BBQ’s. The FSA have produced a leaflet giving advice about this issue. Copies are available from the Food Team or from either the Food Standards Agency (FSA) or Foodlink websites. TOP Who investigates cases of infectious diseases? Staff from the Food Team along with a Consultant in Communicable Diseases from the Health Protection Agency investigate all infectious diseases. TOP Where can I get more information about infectious diseases? This Service has produced a number of leaflets on the common causes of food poisoning. Further information can be found on the Food Standards Agency (FSA) or Foodlink websites.
