BBQ time again
During 2009 Broxbourne Council dealt with a
total of 130 confirmed food poisoning cases, an increase of 16 per
cent over the previous year. The bacterium responsible for 91
per cent of these cases was Campylobacter, a food poisoning
organism commonly associated with poultry.
Barbeques might be one contributor to the
increase in the number of reported cases of food poisoning.
Cooking food outdoors can increase the risk of food poisoning as it
is harder to keep foods very hot or very cold and to keep
everything clean.
Six rules to follow that may prevent food
poisoning are:
- Light the barbeque well in advance and wait
until it is glowing red (with a powdery grey surface) before
starting to cook
- Keep meats, salads and other perishable food
in a cool bag with ice packs or in the fridge until just before
cooking or eating them. Serve salads at the last minute
- During cooking, turn food often. If it starts
to burn on the outside, raise the grill height or reduce the heat
of the charcoal (dampen coals slightly or partially close air
vents)
- Cook poultry, burgers, sausages and pork
throughout - no pink bits in the middle. If possible, fully
pre-cook all poultry and sausages in the oven or microwave then
take it straight to the barbecue to add the final barbecue
flavour
- Keep raw and cooked foods apart at all times.
Don't handle cooked foods with utensils that have touched raw meats
or put cooked or ready-to-eat food on plates that have held raw
meats
- Keep serving bowls covered to protect them
from dust, insects and pets
For more information on food safety and
hygiene, contact the Council on 01992 785511 or visit the ‘environment and planning’ section.
Page last updated:
10/18/2010