Barbecuing Food Safety Tips

I recently attended both the Canadian Health (Food) Inspectors and Manitoba Restaurant association meetings. Both groups work together to prevent restaurant food infections but many infections occur at home with regular people forgetting proper attention to food safety.

Hand washing is best way to prevent the spread of food borne illness. Wash before and after handling food. Wash again when you switch from one food to another.

Clean and sanitize your countertops and utensils

A quick bleach sanitizer recipe:

• Combine 5 mL (1 tsp) of bleach with 750 mL (3 cups) of water in a labeled spray bottle.
• After cleaning, spray sanitizer on the surface/utensil and let stand briefly.
• Rinse with lots of clean water, and air dry (or use clean towels).

Washing raw meats leads to ‘cross contamination' of nearby surfaces and food.

Keep perishable food in the fridge or cooler until ready to cook or eat (cool at or below 4ºC (40ºF)).

Bacteria will "spoil" food left in the temperature ‘danger zone' (4º to 60ºC/40º to 140ºF) for more than two hours. On hot days consider decreasing this to one hour or less.

Keep the cooler cool. Pack the cooler with freezer packs to keep the temperature at or below 4ºC (40ºF) and keep your cooler away from direct sunlight.

Some people use two coolers – one for drinks (since it may get opened more often) and another for food.

Cook safely using a digital thermometer.

Ground beef has a large surface area that might not get adequately cooked which has led in the past to “hamburger disease” infection with E.coli 0157:H7.species. Cooking evenly prevents this and a digital thermometer is the only way to really know the insides are cooked enough.

Keeping hot food hot at or above 60ºC (140ºF) prevents bacteria growth.

Don't forget to separate the raw and the cooked!

Raw food will cross-contaminate cooked food and spread infections. Never use the same plate, tray or utensils for raw and cooked food. Raw meat juices can spread bacteria to your safely cooked food

Never use leftover marinade from the raw food on the cooked food. Instead before marinating meat, set some marinade aside in the fridge so you can use it later to baste meat or as a dipping sauce.

Watch your left overs

• Cool food quickly to prevent the growth of bacteria.
• Store food in shallow containers. Cover containers when cool to prevent cross-contamination.
• Refrigerate as soon as possible! If food is held in the danger zone (4°C to 60°C / 40° to 140°F) for two hours or longer, don't keep it as leftovers.
• You can't tell if food is safe by looking, smelling or tasting it.
• When in doubt, throw it out!
• Do not overstuff the fridge! Cool air needs to circulate around the food.
• Eat properly handled leftovers within two to three days for best quality and safety. Reheat leftovers to 74°C (165°F).
• Freeze leftovers right away if you don't think you'll eat them within two to three days.
• Control flies- they taste with their feet so may land on animal feces before walking in the potato salad!

www.inspection.gc.ca