Have a sizzling, and safe, Bank Holiday barbecue

Food experts have issued a handy list of tips on how to have a sizzling and safe barbecue over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Bury Council and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have served up some advice to help make sure summer ends on a high note.

Steve Hoyle, environmental health officer with the council, said: “Many of us who are in command of the barbecue will not be those who are normally in charge in the kitchen.

“Cases of food poisoning almost double during the summer, and research shows that the undercooking of raw meat and the contamination of bacteria onto the food we eat are among the main reasons.

“We all want to protect the health of our family and friends, and the FSA’s simple advice shows how we can prepare food safely in advance and cut the risk of spreading barbecue bugs such as E.coli, salmonella and campylobacter.”

Top tips:

· Pre-cook the meat or poultry in the oven first and then finish it off on the barbecue for flavour.

· Charred doesn’t mean cooked: make sure that burgers, sausages, chicken and all meats are properly cooked by cutting into the meat and checking that it is steaming hot all the way through, that none of it is pink and that any juices run clear.

· Disposable barbecues take longer: always check that your meat is cooked right through.

· Avoid cross-contamination by storing raw meat separately before cooking, and use different utensils, plates and chopping boards for raw and cooked food.

· Don’t wash raw chicken or other meat, it just splashes germs.

ENDS

Press release issued: 20 August 2014.

Notes to editors:

 Research carried out for the FSA shows:·  56% of men say they are the ‘main cook’ at a barbecue, compared to 21.4% of women.

· 24% of people who aren’t the main cook in their kitchen are the main cook at the barbecue.

· 19% of people do not keep raw and cooked foods on separate plates.

· 21% do not wash their hands with soapy water after handling meat.

·  28% don’t check that burgers and sausages are cooked all the way through before serving.

· 32% don’t check that chicken is cooked through.

·  51% use the same tongs for raw and cooked meat.

For more information see www.food.gov.uk/lovebbq

For advice on handling poultry safely see www.food.gov.uk/chicken