Food Standards Agency: Why you should oven cook food before barbecuing it

The Food Standards Agency warned about food poisoning when cooking outdoors.

15:30 21 August 2014

The Food Standards Agency have urged people to pre-cook their food before barbecuing to avoid food poisoning. The warning came ahead of the late summer bank holiday weekend when Britons usually take the time to cook outdoors, weather permitting.

In a survey that was participated in by 2,030 adults, more than one in five said that they believed they had been ill due to something they ate.

25per cent admitted to not keeping raw and cooked meat on separate plates while more than 50per cent used the same thongs throughout the process risking cross-contamination.

The FSA, which warned that food hygiene risks could lead to more serious illnesses like campylobacter, said that “charred doesn’t mean cooked.” It added that the meat should be steaming hot throughout and any juices should run clear.

It advised people against washing chicken to avoid splashing germs around and warned that raw meat should be stored and handled separately. 

FSA chief executive Catherine Brown said: "Food poisoning is a real risk at barbecues and so we are reminding people to take good care of their families and friends by paying attention to simple food safety rules."