Cases of food poisoning double in the summer. Is this down to the barbecue?

Clean grill

The heat of the coals is not suitable for killing all germs. Cleaning the grill is easiest after a quick pre-heat, before your cooking starts. The heat will loosen charred-on grease.

A clean grill will also leave beautiful char-marks on your food. A dirty grill will leave bits of last week’s dinner!

Raw or cooked?

Raw and cooked foods should never touch each other or share the same plate. Once you’ve transferred any raw meat to the barbecue, wash the plate and tongs with hot, soapy water before they come into contact with any cooked meat.

Give raw food enough space. Consider having separate raw and cooked sides of the barbecue so that cooked foods can be held at a medium-hot temperature until ready to serve.

Marinades

In the summer, marinate meat in the fridge unless it’s being done for a very short time. Bacteria grows at room temperature fast enough to cause food poisoning in less than an hour.

An hour is long enough to marinate small cuts of meat and kebabs. Larger pieces of meat can be marinated overnight.

Don’t use the marinade from the raw meat as a sauce for basting meat while it’s cooking. If you want to baste your meat on the grill, use a new mixture and a clean brush.