Barbeque Safety
Cooking food outdoors can increase the risk of food poisoning as it's harder to keep foods very hot or very cold and easy to forget about good food hygiene practices which would normally be followed in the kitchen.
The general trend is that food poisoning cases increase over the summer because the warmer weather causes harmful food bugs to grow more easily.
Keep food safe for you, your friends and family with our food safety tips
- Buy food from reputable suppliers and ensure it is fresh
- Wash salads and raw vegetables well to remove surface contamination. Do not prepare these foods too far in advance.
- Cleanliness is important - make sure you wash your hands thoroughly and keep them clean at all times
- Thoroughly clean out the barbecue removing any food memories of last summer
- Defrost meat and poultry before cooking them
- Keep raw and cooked foods apart and use separate utensils for each to prevent the transfer of germs
- Don't add sauce or marinade to cooked food if it has already been used with raw meat
- Never put cooked food on a plate or surface that has been used for raw meat.
- Cook food one batch at a time
- Keep all meats and perishable foods refrigerated until you are ready to use them . If food can’t be kept in a fridge then place them in a cool bag or box with ice packs.
- Barbecue meat thoroughly until the juices run clear and no pink bits remain
- Check food is piping hot before serving
- Keep serving bowls covered to protect them from dust, insects and pets.
- Eat food as soon as it is ready and throw away any leftovers.
Remember: Meat that is burnt on the outside does not mean that it is cooked on the inside. If possible pre-cook chicken and sausages, then transfer straight to the barbecue for that barbecue taste. When you reheat food on the barbecue, always make sure it's piping hot all the way through before serving.
More top tips for barbeque safety include:
- Light the barbecue well in advance, make sure you use enough charcoal and wait until it is glowing red (with a powdery grey surface) before starting to cook.
- Place the barbecue in a sheltered site well away from anything which may catch fire
- Keep children and pets away from hot surfaces
- Only use lighter fuel designed for barbecues and follow the manufacturer's instructions
- Wait until the charcoal is glowing red with a grey surface before you start to cook
- Use suitable long handled utensils
- Always wear full, clean aprons
- Store gas bottles in a safe, cool place
- Drinking alcohol when in charge of the barbecue is also a very popular but dangerous activity, with two-thirds saying they drink when cooking. Avoid consuming large amount of alcohol when using a barbecue.
There is currently a campaign leaflet by the Food Standards Agency.
Test your barbecue safety knowledge by completing our
.
Should you require more advice for your own business and any other matters relating to food safety and hygiene you can contact the Food Safety Team at Westminster City Council on 0207 641 1092
