Sizzling and safe summer eating

Feature

Summer BBQs, parties and picnics pose a significant increase in the risk of food-related illnesses. It is important to follow food safety guidelines to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying like rabbits.

Shopping
Cross contamination can occur when raw meat or poultry juices drip on other foods, so separate them in your shopping trolley. Check that the sales assistant places raw meats and poultry in plastic bags and refrigerate as soon as you can. Never leave meat or poultry at room or car temperature for longer than short car journeys.

Defrost safely
Completely defrost meat and poultry before barbecuing so that it cooks evenly. Use the refrigerator for slow, safe thawing or thaw sealed packages in cold water. You can defrost in a microwave if the food will be placed immediately on the barbeque.

Marinating
Meat and poultry can be marinated for several hours or overnight to tenderise or add flavour. Marinate food in the refrigerator not on the counter. If some of the marinade is to be used as a sauce on the cooked food, reserve a portion of the marinade before putting raw meat and poultry in it. However if the marinade used on raw meat or poultry is to be reused, make sure it comes to a boil first to destroy any harmful bacteria.

Transporting
When carrying food to another location keep it cold to minimise bacterial growth. Use an insulated cooler with sufficient ice or ice packs to keep the food at 4 ºC (40˚F) or below. Pack food from the fridge into the cooler immediately before leaving home. Store in the coolest part of the car.

Keep cold food cold
Keep meat and poultry refrigerated until ready to use. Only take out the meat and poultry that will immediately be placed on the barbecue. Keep coolers out of the direct sun and avoid opening the lid too often. Pack beverages in one cooler and perishables in another.

Keep everything clean
Have plenty of clean utensils and plates. To prevent food-borne illness, never use the same plate and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Harmful bacteria present in raw meat and poultry and their juices can contaminate safely cooked food.
If you’re eating away from home, find out if there’s a source of clean water. If not bring water for preparation and cleaning. Or pack clean cloths and wet wipes for cleaning surfaces and hands.

Pre-cooking
Pre-cooking food partially in the microwave or oven is a good way of reducing barbecuing time. Make sure that the food goes immediately on the preheated grill to complete cooking.

Cook thoroughly
Cook food to a safe internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often brown very fast on the outside. Use a food thermometer to make sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature. Whole poultry should reach 80 ºC (180˚F) and chicken breasts should reach 75 ºC (170˚F). Hamburgers made of ground beef and sausages should reach 70 ºC (160˚F). Beef, veal, lamb steaks, roasts and chops can be cooked to 65 ºC (145˚F). All cuts of pork should reach 70 ºC (160˚F).
Never partially barbecue meat or poultry and finish cooking it later.

Keep hot food hot
After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it hot until served, at 60 ºC (140˚F) or warmer.
Keep cooked meats hot by setting them to the side of the grill rack, not directly over the coals where they could overcook. At home the cooked meat can be kept hot in a warm oven.

Serving the food
When taking food off the grill use a clean plate. In hot weather food should never sit out for more than one hour.

Leftovers
Refrigerate any leftovers promptly in shallow containers. Discard any food left out more than two hours or one hour if temperatures are above 30 ºC (90˚F).

MyVillage, 11th May