Outdoor eating and food safety

These simple guidelines can help you enjoy a trouble-free summer of barbecues and outdoor entertaining. Remember, cooking and eating in the open air require the same knowledge of food and standards of hygiene as those used in the kitchen.

Choose your barbecue spot

A sheltered, level site away from anything that could catch fire is best. Never try to move a lit barbecue, or leave it unattended.

Good timing

Charcoal barbecues need to be lit about 45 minutes before you start cooking. Light gas barbecues about 10 minutes beforehand. Begin cooking when all the flames have died down and the coals are glowing red under a thin layer of grey ash. Placing fresh coals around the hot ones on the barbecue will kill the heat and prolong the cooking time. Control the heat for cooking by adjusting the distance of the grid from the coals. The closer the grid is to the coals, the higher the heat will be.

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Test the heat

A good way to test the heat of the barbecue is to hold your hand carefully about 15cm above the coals. If you can keep it there for only one or two seconds, the fire is hot. If you can keep your hand there for three to five seconds, the heat is medium. However, if you can keep your hand there for six to eight seconds, the barbecue is cool. Take care when testing the heat in this way and never encourage children to try the method. Take extra care when children and pets are present.

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Don't forget...

If it rains, most food that can be barbecued can also be cooked under a medium grill, on a griddle, or in a preheated oven at 200°C, gas mark 6. Waitrose packaging includes full cooking instructions to help you. To prevent food from sticking to the grid, brush the grid with oil before cooking. Fat, juices and marinades dripping onto the fire can cause flames to leap up, blacken the food and spoil the flavour. Keep a spray-bottle of cold water nearby to douse any flames.

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Safety first

Avoid wearing loose or flammable clothes, and tie back long hair. Use long wooden-handled tools and wear thick oven gloves when you are cooking with skewers and kebabs. Petrol, methylated spirit, paraffin, or white spirit should never be used to light a barbecue. The flames created can blow back and cause serious injury.

Instead, use barbecue gel or firelighters and follow the instructions on the pack. Never put barbecue gel or firelighters onto a barbecue once it is lit. Keep a fire extinguisher, bucket of water, sand or earth nearby, in case of a fire.

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Clean up your act

Food which is left stuck to the cooking grid is not just a potential health hazard - it will also affect the taste of your next barbecue. Allow the food to burn off at the end of cooking before cleaning the grid with a wire brush while it is still slightly warm. The grid can then be washed with hot, soapy water and a scouring pad.

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Time to pack up

Dispose of barbecue ashes and throwaway barbecues carefully, especially if you are picnicking in the countryside or on the beach. Make sure the barbecue is completely cool before packing it away. Any spent fuel can be wrapped carefully in foil, placed on a tray or in a pan and doused with water to cool it. And please remember to take all your litter home with you.

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Food safety

• Clean work surfaces and utensils thoroughly before, during and after use.
• Store and prepare raw meats separately from cooked and prepacked foods.
• Thaw frozen meat and poultry thoroughly in the fridge.
• Wash hands before preparing food, after touching raw meat and before eating.
• Keep marinated meat and poultry in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
• Use separate plates and utensils for raw and cooked meat.
• Leave food out of the fridge for the shortest time possible. Keep food out of the sun.
• Cook all meat, meat products and poultry until they are piping hot and the juices run clear when the skin is pierced with a sharp knife.
• Turn food regularly as it cooks to avoid charring one side and under-cooking the other.
• Keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold.
• Never partially cook food to finish later.
• Never re-use meat or poultry marinades or pour raw marinade onto cooked meat.
• Keep children and pets away from food preparation surfaces and hot barbecues.

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For more information

For further information, please contact Waitrose Customer Services on Free phone 0800 188884 or write to Customer Services, Waitrose Limited, Doncastle Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 8YA.

For a complete guide to food safety, visit the Food and Drink Federation's Consumer Information website: foodlink.org.uk (this link opens a  new window).

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