World Food Safety Day: How to stay (food) safe during the BBQ season?

On 7 June, we celebrate World Food Safety Day. At Paulig, food safety and quality are top priorities every day and our Paulig products provide you with safe, delicious and tasty ingredients for the perfect meal. But what about food safety in your own kitchen? Do you know how to prevent common food safety hazards to ensure that you have the perfect summertime BBQ? Here are some tips from our quality and food safety experts.

We’re currently spending a lot of time in and around our homes. It’s the perfect occasion to organise more frequent delicious BBQs! 

We know that, from the farm to the manufacturing plant and finally to the grocery store, food products undergo the most rigorous safety monitoring. However, at the end of that food chain, it's your chef qualities that will make it a success or not.

Four steps for preparing a safe BBQ meal

Barbecue season is the high season for food borne illnesses (food poisoning). In most cases of food poisoning, the food is contaminated by bacteria, such as Salmonella, Campylobacter or Escherichia coli (E. coli), or a virus, such as norovirus. Warm weather and outdoor cooking can produce the right conditions for these food poisoning microbes.

Food poisoning is usually mild, and most people get better within a few days or a week. But sometimes it can be more severe, even deadly, and so it's important to take the risks seriously. Children, older people and those with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable.

Therefore, it’s vital to remember the 4 important cornerstones of food hygiene:

• Chilling food properly helps to stop harmful bacteria from growing, especially in the warm summer months. Always keep raw meats cold and don't leave cooked foods and salads lying out in the sun too long. Keep them in the fridge until you need them and put leftovers back in the fridge as soon as possible.
• Effective cleaning gets rid of the microorganisms on your hands, equipment and surfaces, helping to stop them from spreading onto your food. 
• Cooking food at the right temperature and for the correct length of time will ensure that any harmful microorganisms are killed. Remember that chicken and minced meat products, such as burgers, must be cooked through and be completely ‘well done’.
• Avoid cross-contamination by keeping raw and cooked food separated and always use separate tools for raw and cooked food!

If you follow these basic principles, you and your guests will stay safe and healthy as well as avoid food poisoning incidents. Easy-peasy, right?

So, get out there and fire up those grills and enjoy a food safe summer!

Check out our recipes!

https://www.pocoloco.be/en/inspiration/
https://www.santamariaworld.com/uk/recipes/
https://goldandgreenfoods.com/recipes-archive/