Barbecue Food Safety and Food Hygiene

Many of us like a good barbecue, even if this means dodging the rain. That said, we would like to offer you a few points about barbecue food safety.

Here are some of our essential food safety tips for barbecues this summer:

• Make one person responsible for the cooking beforehand
  • remember that alcohol and cooking do not mix.
• Make sure that food is fully thawed out before you cook it, and always keep raw food covered and out of the sun.
• Before you start cooking, make sure you have dressed appropriately, don’t wear a bikini, or very loose clothing. Wear an apron, and tie long hair back.
• Do not use flammable liquids to start the barbeque, and never add them to a lit barbecue.
• Keep a fire extinguisher or a fire blanket handy just in case, and don’t leave the grill unattended when children are present. It is also useful to keep a spray bottle of water near the barbeque to douse any flare-ups.
• Use the right tools for the job; barbecue tools are designed for the purpose with long heatproof handles.
• Always make sure that the meat (especially: chicken, pork, burgers, sausages and kebabs, etc.) is fully cooked.
  • This means until steaming hot all the way through so that none of the meat is pink and any juices run clear.
• Do not start to cook too early, but wait until the charcoal is glowing red, with a powdery grey surface. If you don’t, you risk over-charring the outside of the meat while the inside is still raw.
• If barbecuing lots of meat, consider cooking it in the oven first and then finished off (without delay) on the barbecue for added flavour.
• Wash your hands regularly and always after handling raw meat.
• When reheating food on the barbecue, always make sure it’s steaming hot all the way through before serving.
• Don’t add sauce or marinade to cooked food if it has already been used with raw meat.
• Keep children and pets away from the barbecue at all times, even after you have finished cooking.
• Dispose of the ashes responsibly, make sure they are completely cold beforehand.

And remember, have fun, and don’t let the rain stop play, most barbecue food can be cooked in an oven or grill if the weather turns bad.