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Avoid the BBQ bug! (NCC release)

As weather forecasters predict another sunny Saturday this weekend, Community Protection's Food Safety Team are offering some helpful advice to would be BBQ enthusiasts to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all.

Trends show an increase in food poisoning cases over the summer, due to warmer weather causing harmful food bugs to grow more easily. Cooking and eating outside peaks in the summer months and it's easy to forget about good food hygiene practices when barbecuing, which would normally be followed in the kitchen.

During the summer months Community Protection Food Safety Officers see an increase in reports of food poisoning cases such as campylobacter and salmonella. Since the start of April 102 Nottingham residents have been diagnosed with food poisoning; most cases (87) were campylobacter infections. Campylobacter, salmonella and E.coli infections are serious illnesses that have a link with poor barbecue practises.

Community Protection Food Safety specialists are promoting simple but important food hygiene tips for barbecue enthusiasts to bear in mind:

• Always wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food, after touching raw meat and before eating
• Raw meat can contain harmful bacteria and should be separated from cooked and ready-to-eat food. Do not put raw meats near salad and burger buns
• Use separate utensils for raw and cooked meat. Never put cooked food on a plate or surface that has been used for raw meat
• Don't add sauce or marinade to cooked food if it has already been used with raw meat
• Barbecued food may look thoroughly cooked when it isn't. To be sure that it is safe to eat; check that it's piping hot all the way through, that none of the meat is pink and that any juices run clear. Use a probe thermometer, are available from retailers selling kitchen gadgets, to check that the temperature in the thickest part of the meat is 75 celsius or hotter
• Ensure that serving bowls, utensils and cooked and ready to eat food are not accidentally splashed with uncooked meat juices
• Always keep cold food cold and hot foods hot to stop bugs multiplying. Don't leave food standing around

Follow Community Protection's barbecue tips. Some simple hygiene measures will go a long way towards cutting the risks and putting on a successful, tasty and incident free barbecue!

(Friday 8th July 2011 09:00:00 GMT)

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