More home cooks using a meat thermometer

Over a third of home barbecue cooks now own a meat thermometer, according to Safefood research

Safefood praises Northern Ireland’s home cooks as meat thermometer usage increases ahead of barbecuing this July bank holiday

Over a third (38%) of home barbecue cooks now own a meat thermometer
Almost a third (31%) of home barbecue cooks who don’t own a meat thermometer say they intend to buy one in the future
Home barbecue cooks urged to ‘keep trusting the meat thermometer’ to avoid food poisoning

Thursday 11th July 2024: Safefood is urging home barbecue cooks across Northern Ireland to ‘keep trusting the meat thermometer’ this July bank holiday to avoid serving raw or undercooked barbecue meat to friends and family.

As barbecue season reaches its peak with the sun threatening to make an appearance this July bank holiday, the latest research from Safefood shows over a third (38%) of home barbecue cooks now own a meat thermometer.

The research found that ownership of meat thermometers has risen by 20% among local home chefs, and of those who don’t own a meat thermometer, 31% say they intend to purchase one, which highlights significant progress in food safety practices among Northern Ireland’s home barbecue cooks.

These results are a far cry from previous Safefood research that showed almost half (45%) of local barbecue-goers had been served raw or undercooked barbecue meat like burgers, chicken, and sausages.

The previous study also revealed that two-thirds of home barbecue cooks were unaware of the correct temperature to ensure barbecue meats were cooked and safe to eat.

Safefood’s ‘Trust the Meat Thermometer’ campaign was launched in 2022 aimed at encouraging people to use a meat thermometer and take the guess work out of cooking barbecue meats by checking they are cooked to 75 degrees Celsius.

With so many enjoying barbecues in the summer, it’s important that we’re all aware of the risk of food poisoning. A meat thermometer provides an extra layer of reassurance when cooking meats like burgers, sausages, chicken and kebabs.

Trish Twohig, Safefood’s Director of Food Safety said: “A huge 'well done' to those who have made their meat thermometer a part of their barbecue routine. With so many enjoying barbecues in the summer, it’s important that we’re all aware of the risk of food poisoning. A meat thermometer provides an extra layer of reassurance when cooking meats like burgers, sausages, chicken and kebabs. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, follow the three checks of ensuring these foods are cooked until piping hot, with no pink meat and the juices run clear. But we’d encourage you to buy an easy-to-use meat thermometer"

These results show that Northern Ireland’s home barbecue chefs are understanding the key message that using a meat thermometer is an effective way to ensure food safety at your summer barbecue.

Top tips for a safe and tasty barbecue

Ahead of the bank holiday weekend, Safefood has put together a list of top tips for a safe and tasty barbecue:

Keep perishable foods like salads, coleslaw, and quiche in your fridge until you are ready to serve them.
Burgers, sausages and kebabs, pork and poultry must be cooked all the way through – take your food off the heat, pop the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat and when it reaches 75 degrees Celsius, then it’s cooked and ready to eat. Steaks can be served as ‘rare' as harmful bacteria are on the outside only (and not in the centre).
If you don’t have a meat thermometer, follow the three checks of ensuring barbecue meats like burgers, sausages and chicken are cooked until piping hot, with no pink meat and the juices running clear.
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.
If you choose to barbecue any frozen food, it must be completely thawed first on the bottom shelf of your fridge before you cook it.
When handling raw meat and poultry, wash your hands thoroughly and frequently, most importantly before going on to prepare salads and other ready-to-eat foods.
Once your meat is cooked thoroughly, make sure to keep cooked meat separate from raw meat and 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, something your family won’t thank you for.

If you have barbecue leftovers, let the food cool, then refrigerate it within two hours of cooking. Consume leftovers within three days and reheat them only once. Always remember with leftovers - if in doubt, throw it out

For more information visit www.safefood.net/news or follow safefood on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

Ends

For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

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Russell Lever
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Safefood
Dermot Moriarty
Mob: 00353 86 381 1034
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