Research into the way food is prepared for picnics, barbecues and camping has revealed gross deficiencies in the care people are taking to maintain a good level of safety in the food they prepare.
Hands were not being adequately washed Food thermometers were not being used.
Hand washing should take place before, during and after preparing food. Some 95% of subjects were found not to carry out the procedure correctly, for at least 20 seconds followed by rinsing and drying thoroughly. (after we were all taught to wash our hands to the tune of Happy Birthday twice over, at the beginning of the pandemic, you would have thought people would now know how to do this successfully!|)
When using a food thermometer, attention should be paid to the ideal temperature for each type of product.
| Beef, Pork and Lamb steaks | 145 ° F (63 °C) |
| Fish | 145 ° F (63 °C) |
| Egg Dishes | 160 ° F (71 °C) |
| Minced Meats | 160 ° F (71 °C) |
| All poultry | 165 °F (74 °C) |
Raw meat should be kept separate from fruits and vegetables. Separate cutting boards for raw meat and poultry and another for vegetables.
Cross contamination of cutting boards has been shown in 32% of preparations studied.
28% contaminated the kitchen sink,
8% contaminated cupboard handles.
We hope you remember these rules when preparing food for the Jubilee Celebrations, even down to simple sandwich and cake preparation.
But, they should continue to be followed for the rest of the Summer, at BBQs and any other celebrations.
