Friday, May 26, 2006
Celebrate National Barbecue Week safely
The sun may not be shining reliably yet but the summer is coming and National Barbecue Week has arrived.
Extra care is needed when food is prepared in the great outdoors as the risk of food poisoning is increased. Undercooked burgers, sausages and chicken can also be a serious health hazard.
So to coincide with National Barbecue Week, which runs from 29 May to 4 June, the Environmental Health team at St Edmundsbury has issued the following advice to people cooking outside. Following these tips will help make sure barbecues taking place this summer are safe as well as fun.
Food safety checklist for barbecues:
· Wash your hands before touching or eating food and after handling raw meat and poultry.
· Make sure all cooking and eating utensils and work surfaces are clean before use.
· Defrost frozen meat and poultry fully before cooking, either in the fridge or microwave.
· Light the barbecue well in advance and make sure you use enough charcoal. Wait until it is glowing red (with a grey surface) before starting to cook.
· Wash salads and raw vegetables well and do not prepare these foods too far in advance. You should keep salads, meats and other perishable food in the fridge until just before you are ready to cook or eat them.
· Keep food still to be cooked away from food which is ready to eat at all times and use different utensils to handle cooked and raw meats.
· Cook poultry, sausages, burgers and chopped or minced meats right through until the juices run clear. Never eat these meats rare.
· If food starts to burn on the outside while it is cooking, raise the grill height or reduce the heat of the charcoal by dampening the coals slightly or partially closing air vents.
· Keep serving bowls covered to protect food from dust and insects and eat the food as soon as it is ready.
· Store left-overs in a clean, covered container in the fridge and eat within 48 hours.
For more information, visit the Environmental Health pages of the borough council’s website at www.stedmundsbury.gov.uk
The sun may not be shining reliably yet but the summer is coming and National Barbecue Week has arrived.
Extra care is needed when food is prepared in the great outdoors as the risk of food poisoning is increased. Undercooked burgers, sausages and chicken can also be a serious health hazard.
So to coincide with National Barbecue Week, which runs from 29 May to 4 June, the Environmental Health team at St Edmundsbury has issued the following advice to people cooking outside. Following these tips will help make sure barbecues taking place this summer are safe as well as fun.
Food safety checklist for barbecues:
· Wash your hands before touching or eating food and after handling raw meat and poultry.
· Make sure all cooking and eating utensils and work surfaces are clean before use.
· Defrost frozen meat and poultry fully before cooking, either in the fridge or microwave.
· Light the barbecue well in advance and make sure you use enough charcoal. Wait until it is glowing red (with a grey surface) before starting to cook.
· Wash salads and raw vegetables well and do not prepare these foods too far in advance. You should keep salads, meats and other perishable food in the fridge until just before you are ready to cook or eat them.
· Keep food still to be cooked away from food which is ready to eat at all times and use different utensils to handle cooked and raw meats.
· Cook poultry, sausages, burgers and chopped or minced meats right through until the juices run clear. Never eat these meats rare.
· If food starts to burn on the outside while it is cooking, raise the grill height or reduce the heat of the charcoal by dampening the coals slightly or partially closing air vents.
· Keep serving bowls covered to protect food from dust and insects and eat the food as soon as it is ready.
· Store left-overs in a clean, covered container in the fridge and eat within 48 hours.
For more information, visit the Environmental Health pages of the borough council’s website at www.stedmundsbury.gov.uk
