BBQ FUN; In association with the NHS.Byline: DR SCOTT'S SURGERY WELL, summer is almost upon us. If you are like my family, you will have already put out the garden chairs, shopped for sausages and burgers, and stocked up with charcoal charcoal, substance obtained by partial burning or carbonization (destructive distillation) of organic material. It is largely pure carbon. The entry of air during the carbonization process is controlled so that the organic material does not turn to ash, as in a . And now, you will be sitting gazing at the rain, looking forward to stoking up the barbecue and inviting your friends and family around for a lazy afternoon in the sun. Without wanting to put a dampener on your fun, every year thousands of people fall ill from food poisoning food poisoning, acute illness following the eating of foods contaminated by bacteria, bacterial toxins, natural poisons, or harmful chemical substances. It was once customary to classify all such illnesses as "ptomaine poisoning," but it was later discovered that as a direct result of eating barbecued food, the most common bugs to cause illness are ecoli, campylobacter Campylobacter Genus of gram-negative spiral-shaped bacteria infecting mammals. Many species, especially C. fetus, cause miscarriage in sheep and cattle. C. jejuni is a common cause of food poisoning. Sources include meats (particularly chicken) and unpasteurized milk. and salmonella. The biggest culprit is undercooked meat. The good news is that if you follow a couple of simple rules this food poisoning is almost entirely avoidable: Make sure that the food is properly cooked. This doesn't simply mean that the food looks burnt on the outside! It has got to be piping hot in the middle as well. You might need to cook the meat more slowly to give the heat a chance to penetrate. If in doubt, cut it in half to check. None of the meat should be pink and the juices should run clear. If you are reheating Reheating The addition of heat to steam of reduced pressure after the steam has given up some of its energy by expansion through the high-pressure stages of a turbine. food on the barbecue, be extra vigilant about making sure it is very hot. Make sure that the charcoal is hot enough before you start to cook on it. It should be glowing red, with a grey, powdery pow·der·y adj. 1. Composed of or similar to powder. 2. Dusted or covered with or as if with powder. 3. Easily made into powder; friable. Adj. 1. surface. Don't cook the food from frozen. Turn the food regularly and move it around the barbecue to ensure even cooking. Keep raw meat away from cooked meat, the germs that are in the raw meat can easily be transferred. So don't let raw and cooked come into any contact. Keep raw meat in a sealed container, well away from salads, buns etc. Use separate utensils for dealing with raw and cooked meat. This includes plates, knives, and cooking foil. Have separate work surfaces for raw and cooked meat. Wash your hands after handling raw meat, as well as before starting to cook. If you have had a marinade on raw meat, don't add it to cooked meat. If you remember these two rules your alfresco meals will be much safer. Bon apetit! |
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