Don’t get a bug from the barbie

DURING fine weather a barbeque is a great way to spend time with family, friends and neighbours.
But just because you are cooking outdoors, don’t let your good cooking habits go up in smoke when you light the barbecue – you want them to go home with memories of a good time, not a tummy bug to remember you by!
To make the most of your barbeque, here are some top tips from Safefood for how to get it right every time.

Before you get grilling
Before you begin to set up your barbeque give the grill a thorough clean by scrubbing the metal rack with a suitable oven cleaner or a damp brush dipped in bicarbonate of soda. Rinse thoroughly with warm, soapy water.

Keep your cool
When cooking and eating outdoors, food is away from the fridge for a longer period of time, which can lead to germs multiplying quickly.
Keep perishable foods like salads, coleslaw and quiche in the fridge until needed.

Before you start
Before you try your best imitation of a TV chef, make sure frozen foods are fully thawed before cooking. Keep foods chilled in the fridge or a cool box until needed and light the barbecue well in advance. For charcoal barbeques, the flames should have died down before you start cooking.

It’s in your hands
Wash your hands before and after handling food. Keep raw meat separate from cooked meat and ready-to-eat foods like salads. Always use separate utensils for handling raw and cooked meat when cooking. Never put cooked food on a dish that has been used for raw meat or poultry (unless it’s been thoroughly washed in between) and keep food covered whenever possible.

Cook with confidence
The big issue when barbequing is making sure food has been cooked thoroughly, all the way through. While the outside may look cooked (and in some cases burnt), the inside can still be raw.
For meats that need to be cooked all the way through check that:
• They are piping hot all the way
    through.
• There is no pink meat left.
• The juices run clear.
Mind that marinade
If you like to marinate your meat, make sure any marinade used on raw meat is not then used as a sauce to coat vegetables or cooked meat as it will contain raw meat bacteria. 

Love those leftovers
If there are any leftovers from your barbeque, these should not be left outside where they may be in the sun and where insects and animals might be able to access them. Cover leftovers and allow them to cool in a cool place before refrigerating within two hours of cooking.

BBQ Golden Rules
1. Keep perishable foods like salads, coleslaw and quiche in the fridge until ready to serve.
2. Burgers, sausages and kebabs, pork and poultry must be cooked all the way through — but steaks or whole meat joints of beef or lamb can be served rare, as harmful bacteria are on the outside only.
3. If you like to marinate meat, make sure any marinade used on raw meat is not then used as a sauce to coat vegetables or cooked meat as it will contain raw meat bacteria.
4. If you choose to barbecue frozen food, it must be completely thawed on the bottom shelf of the fridge before cooking.
5. When handling raw meat and poultry, wash your hands thoroughly and frequently.
6. Once meat is cooked thoroughly, make sure to keep cooked meat separate from raw meat and to use separate chopping boards, cooking utensils and plates. Harmful bacteria in raw meat, poultry and their juices can cross contaminate cooked food and lead to food poisoning.
7. If there are leftovers, allow the food to cool before refrigerating, however make sure to refrigerate food within two hours of cooking.

For more information on food safety and healthy eating, including recipes, visit www.safefood.eu.