Picnic and barbecue food safety tips
Planning a picnic or barbecue in the coming months? Shropshire Council’s food safety team is providing a few tips which anyone organising a picnic or barbecue might want to consider to help make sure everyone has a fun and safe time.
Picnics or barbecues vary as to where they are held, whether a kitchen is used, who is cooking the food and how long the food sits in the car or on the table. As part of the planning the team recommends asking the following questions on these different aspects:
Who is coming to the picnic or barbecue?
Depending on where the event is hosted, there may be some uninvited visitors – flies, bees, wasps, ants, and other bugs. They can land on food and either just stop to visit, bringing with them germs they picked up from the last thing they touched, for example refuse, dog foul or dirty water, or can eat the food themselves, leaving their own waste behind.
Keeping food safe from bugs can be a challenge but the following can help:
• Use screens, repellents and fly swatters.
• Try to serve food in a kitchen or other room where guests can pile their plates and then stroll outside to eat.
• Try to keep food on tables rather than on the ground.
• If visiting a public park, pick a spot away from rubbish bins.
• Any food that is dropped should be picked up and put into a waste container as soon as possible.
• Try to keep covers on beverages as much as possible.
How long is the food going to sit there?
A nice hot day for a picnic (94°F, 34°C) can be comfortable for guests, but if food is left out long enough, germs will grow fast.
• The best rule of thumb is to discard all foods that have been sitting out for two hours or more, even if they still look and smell good.
• The highest risk foods include some picnic and barbecue favourites. Meats such as burgers, ribs, steaks, and chicken (fried or grilled), are all high risk foods that should be cooked completely.
• Prepared salads such as potato and coleslaw can also be dangerous if left at warm temperatures for a long time so use the same rule of thumb – throw them away if they sit out for more than two hours.
• Try to plan the event so that the food does not need to sit out all afternoon.
• If visiting the park or an outdoors location, cover the high-risk food, pack it into iced coolers – not into the back of a hot car.
• If there are no hand washing facilities use wipes or sanitising gel.
• When the food is ready, try to make sure that there is time for all to eat; give everybody a good hour or so, and then begin packing away.
Who’s the chef?
At a barbecue, one or two people are usually responsible for cooking the food on the grill or fire, and one important way to ensure the food is safe is to cook it properly. It is also important that:
• They know how to prepare the food in the safest way.
• They wash their hands, especially after handling raw meat and salad produce.
• Another thing to consider is getting a good thermometer to tell exactly how hot the food actually is – the centre should reach at least 75°C. It is recommended to get a food thermometer that has actual degree indicators on it, not just “well done”, “medium”, and “rare.”
Councillor Steve Charmley, Cabinet member for active and healthy lifestyles, said:
“Picnics and barbecues can be a lot of fun – times to gather with family and friends, participate in activities, or just relax at the park.
“However cooking and eating outdoors can lead to increased incidences of food poisoning in the warmer months of the year – and we would just ask people to be aware of food safety.
“By taking a few simple steps people can avoid getting ill and make the most of opportunities to have picnics and barbecues this summer.”
