Barbecues can unfortunately be an easy way to get food poisoning.
Following a few simple rules will minimise the risk of an unhappy ending to your outdoor fun.
For further advice email the Food Safety team or telephone 01223 457900.
Three simple rules for a safe barbecue
Barbecues attract bacteria that thrive in warm conditions, so:
Be clean
- keep your hands clean at all times
- wash vegetables before you cook them and rinse salads
- keep your utensils clean and always use separate tools for raw and cooked meats
- don't put cooked foods back into the container you used to bring them into the garden uncooked
- make sure any helpers, including children, obey these rules too
Defrost thoroughly
Always defrost frozen meats and poultry fully before cooking - this means planning ahead and may mean getting foods out of the freezer the day before your barbecue.
Keep all perishable foods cool until you need to use them, either in the fridge or in a cool box or bag with ice packs.
Cook thoroughly
Poultry, sausages, burgers and chopped or minced meats should always be cooked until they are piping hot throughout: the juices should run clear and there should be no pink bits. Never eat them rare.
It is a good idea to pre-cook poultry just before barbecuing, and use the barbecue to add flavour and crispness.
Take care with the fire
Use a sheltered, level site, away from anything that might catch fire.
Keep pets and children at a distance; use longhandled equipment when handling hot coals, and keep a bucket of sand or water handy.
Let the coals burn through and go white before cooking, so that food cooks more slowly and the inside is cooked through before the outside gets burnt.
Barbecues on parks and open spaces
The use of disposable barbecues on our parks and open spaces is not permitted - unless the barbecue makes use of barbecue stones. Such stones can be found on Jesus Green and Lammas Land and prevent the grass from burning.
These barbecues cause damage to grass, and when left unattended pose a health and safety risk to yourself and other park users.
