Planning on striking up the barbeque this bank holiday weekend?
safefood shares food safety advice from the experts and enlists the help of Donal Skehan to inspire home cooks that the best burgers are well done
safefood shares food safety advice from the experts and enlists the help of Donal Skehan to inspire home cooks that the best burgers are well done
Recent data reveals increase in sales of barbeque meats (+44%), barbeque sauce (+53%) and other barbeque related products (+51%) as we look forward to outdoor dining, whatever the weather!
Friday 29th May 2020: With sales of barbeque meats and barbeque-related products on the increase and the bank holiday weekend approaching, safefood is reminding people to make sure they cook their burgers well done and avoid any food safety mishaps, which can lead to people getting sick.
Recent retail data by Kantar¹ revealed that sales of barbeque meats have increased by 44%. Additionally, recent supermarket research by Nielsen³ has revealed sales of barbeque sauce and products to light barbeques have also increased by 53% and 51% respectively. With our dining options impacted by Covid-19 and some beautiful spring weather, we have embraced the opportunity to dine alfresco with our families and strike up the barbeque for some flavoursome burgers, delicious hot dogs and tender kebabs, which will no doubt continue to be the case as we move into the summer months.
Dr Gary Kearney, Director, Food Science, safefood said;
For many of us, a home barbeque is one of those dining activities that we can still enjoy as a family, despite the current Covid-19 restrictions. And with longer evenings and hopefully some warmer days ahead, having a barbeque is a great way to enjoy home-cooked food outdoors. However, don’t let your good food safety habits go up in smoke when you light your barbeque. Always cook burgers, sausages, chicken and kebabs well done. That means, piping hot all the way through - no pink meat remaining and any juices running clear. If you’re cooking steaks these can be cooked to preference.”
If you haven’t used a barbeque yet this year, safefood recommend cleaning it by scrubbing the metal rack with a suitable oven cleaner or a damp brush dipped in bicarbonate of soda, and then rinsing it thoroughly afterwards with warm soapy water.
“My rule of thumb for cooking on a barbeque is to keep cold foods cold, hot foods hot and keep hands and utensils clean,” continues Dr Kearney. “Perishable foods like salads and coleslaw should stay in the fridge until you need them. Don’t leave cooked food outside and cover any leftovers, making sure they’re stored in the fridge within two hours. You can use cooked leftovers within three days but if in any doubt, throw them out. And always wash your hands and utensils after handling raw meat or poultry and before you go to handle cooked or ready-to-eat foods. That helps prevent cross-contamination from happening.”
Supporting the campaign, Donal Skehan said; “With all of us spending our time at home and in our garden, the beauty of the barbeque is the fun, relaxed and family friendly environment that it creates. Having a safe barbeque is as important as having a delicious one and safefood has all the food safety tips and advice you need. Make sure not to scorch everything! If the heat is too high and you can’t control it, your food, meat especially, can be black on the outside but still raw on the inside. Leave the hot coals on one side or if you are using a gas barbeque, keep the heat low on one side. And remember foods like burgers, chicken and sausages need to be cooked well done, all the way through. We have already had some great barbeque weather this summer and let’s hope there is plenty more to come! Happy cooking!”
For more barbeque information including great recipes, search safefood.eu. To request an interview please contact:
Wilson Hartnell PR
Clodagh Hogan
Tel: +353 1 669 0030
Mob: +353 87 774 6128
Email: [email protected]
Sally McLoughlin
Tel : +353 1 669 0030
Mob: +353 87 972 2549
Email: [email protected]
safefood
Dermot Moriarty (m) 086 381 1034
Email: [email protected]
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Editor’s Notes:
safefood’s 7 top tips for a safe barbeque
- Keep perishable foods like salads, coleslaw and quiche in your fridge until you are about to serve them.
- Burgers, sausages and kebabs, pork and poultry must be cooked all the way through - but steaks can be served 'rare' as harmful bacteria are on the outside only (and not in the centre).
- 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 barbeque any frozen food, it must be firstly completely thawed 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 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, something your family won’t thank you for.
- If there are leftovers from your barbeque, allow the food to cool before refrigerating, however make sure to refrigerate food within two hours of cooking. Always remember that with leftovers - if in doubt, throw it out.
References:
¹ Sales of barbeque meats increased by 44%; Retail sales for the four weeks to April 19, 2020 (Kantar)
² Sales of barbeque sauce were up by 53%, and ignition-related products, typically used to light barbeques, were up by +51%; Retail sales for the four weeks to April 12th, 2020 (Nielsen)
7. If there are leftovers from your barbeque, allow the food to cool before refrigerating, however make sure to refrigerate food within two hours of cooking. Always remember that with leftovers - if in doubt, throw it out.
References: ¹ Sales of barbeque meats increased by 44%; Retail sales for the four weeks to April 19, 2020 (Kantar) ² Sales of barbeque sauce were up by 53%, and ignition-related products, typically used to light barbeques, were up by +51%; Retail sales for the four weeks to April 12th, 2020 (Nielsen)
