Top Tips for Eating Safely this Summer
It may be a time for barbecues, picnics and other informal outdoor eating but as Safefood, the Food Safety Promotion Board, points out, it is all too easy at this time of the year to spoil what should be a great time by failing to observe some very simple rules.
Picnics
If you are going to picnic, invest in a good cooler bag. Preferably include ice, or even better, cooler ‘bricks’ you can freeze, when packing the box. It will be a big help.
When you are serving the food, keep the food not being eaten covered at all times to avoid contamination by insects.
Don’t keep drinks in your food cooler. As each time people return for more drinks they increase the risk of contamination.
Pack all foods properly to avoid cross contamination. It’s a good idea to double bag foods to prevent melting ice coming in contact with food and creating more juices that can contaminate.
Make sure to eat your picnic within a few hours of leaving home. As a rule of thumb observe a 2 hour rule. If not consumed by then throw the food out.
Don’t pack food that has just been cooked and is still warm. Remember coolers cannot cool! It is best to refrigerate food overnight before packing.
If you intend having a barbecue with your picnic don’t carry raw meat in the same container as cooked foods. Meat juices can easily leak.
If you know there is no chance of getting clean water to wash your hands pack some disposable towels.
Barbecues
Keep raw meat in the fridge until you are ready to cook it.
Remember grilling meat and poultry often browns the meat on the outside without cooking it inside. Cook burgers and sausages until the juices run clear. Steak can be cooked to preference.
Make sure you have two sets of utensils available – one for cooked meat, the other for raw. Never use the one set of utensils for both.
It is all too easy to contaminate cooked foods with raw meat at a BBQ. Think about it – and while you are at it think of the consequences.
Keep perishable foods in the fridge until needed. These may be salads, quiches or rice dishes – all are susceptible to bacteria, particularly on a warm day.
Don’t mix fresh foods/salads with foods, which have been outside for some time.
Transport
& Storage
The temperature of perishable foods should not be allowed to rise above 10°C during transport.
Raw meat and poultry should be packed in separate bags or containers away from other food to avoid potential cross-contamination.
Food should be refrigerated, cooked or frozen as soon as possible following purchase. The use of insulated bags or freezer bags is recommended during transportation.
Cooking
Poultry and pork products; minced meat or any type of product made from minced or comminuted meats (e.g. sausages, burgers); and meats which have been rolled or deboned or composed of reformed meat pieces, must be cooked to a core temperature of at least 70°C for 2 minutes or equivalent (75°C instantaneously i.e. the immediate temperature reading obtained on inserting a temperature probe into the centre of the food). Whole fish may be cooked to preference, but products made of minced fish (e.g. fish cakes) should always be cooked to a core temperature of at least 70°C for 2 minutes or equivalent (75°C instantaneously).
Beef steaks or whole beef joints, lamb steaks or whole lamb joints, may be cooked to preference although the risk of food poisoning could increase if the meat is undercooked.
Vulnerable consumers (including the elderly, the very young i.e. babies and toddlers, pregnant women and individuals who are immuno-compromised) should avoid eating lamb or beef that is rare or pink, and shellfish and eggs which are undercooked.
Cooling
Cooked food, if not being consumed immediately, should be cooled and refrigerated to 5°C or less as quickly as possible after cooking.
Hot food should not be placed in a refrigerator until it has cooled.
Portioned food will cool faster, however, care should be taken to avoid cross-contamination while portioning.
Refrigeration
High risk, or perishable food, in which harmful organisms can grow, must be stored in a refrigerator.
Keep domestic fridges at temperatures of 5°C or below.
Do not use pre-packaged foods beyond the manufacturer’s ‘use by’ date. Eggs should not be used beyond the ‘best before’ date.
Leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours of cooking.
The maximum length of time that home-prepared food should be stored at refrigerated temperatures is 3 days.
Freezing
Providing that food is adequately frozen it will remain safe over long periods. Although many recommendations state that frozen food should be maintained at -18°C this target temperature is required for food quality rather than for food safety reasons. A domestic freezer should be capable of freezing food and maintaining it frozen over a period of months depending on the foodstuff.
The maximum length of time for the storage of food in the freezer is a quality and not a safety issue.
Thawing
Unless the manufacturer stipulates otherwise, food must be thawed throughout before cooking while maintaining all parts of the food at a temperature of 5°C or below.
In the home, this is best achieved by defrosting food in the refrigerator for as long as necessary, keeping it covered at all times. It is particularly important that ready-to-eat food, which will not be cooked after thawing, is thawed in a fridge.
At least 24 hours of thawing time should be allowed for every 2-2.5 kg (4-5 lbs) of food, to ensure that it is fully thawed while in the fridge. In the domestic environment, thawed food must not be re-frozen.
Because of uneven heating, microwaves should not be used to thaw food unless the food is to be cooked and consumed immediately.
Re-Heating
In the home both solid and liquid cooked food should be re-heated to an internal temperature of at least 70°C. This temperature could be lowered if the cooking, cooling, storage and handling of the food were controlled. However, these controls are often not possible in the domestic environment.
Foods that have been cooled and stored incorrectly should not be consumed. This is due to the possible presence of toxins, which may not be eliminated by reheating. This is particularly important in the case of rice and foods subjected to excessive handling (e.g. chopped, cooked meats).
Source: ‘Issuing Temperature Guidance to Consumers on the Cooking and Storage of Good’
SPICY
CHICKEN KEBABS
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts (6 oz / 175 geach)
8 Bay Leaves
2 Red Onions, peeled and quartered
8 Green Chillies, halved and de-seeded
Olive Oil
Salt and Black Pepper
4 Large Wooden Skewers
For the Marinade
10 fl oz / 275 ml Low Fat Natural Yoghurt
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
1/2 tsp Turmeric
Small Bunch of Fresh Coriander
3 Garlic Cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tblsp Fresh Root Ginger, peeled and grated
Salt and Black Pepper
Method
Before you start handling any food, remember to wash your hands.
Pour the low fat yoghurt into a large bowl and add the cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, garlic, ginger and some fresh coriander sprigs. Mix everything together and season with salt and pepper.
Cut each chicken breast into 5 chunks and place in the spiced yoghurt, mixing everything around so that the chicken is evenly coated. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least a few hours or overnight.
When you are almost ready to cook the kebabs, soak the wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. This prevents them burning. Prepare the barbecue (or alternatively pre-heat the grill to its highest setting)
To assemble the kebabs thread a bay leaf on to each skewer, then a piece of chicken, an onion quarter, another piece of chicken and half a chilli. Repeat this again and finish off with a piece of chicken and another bay leaf. There should be 5 pieces of chicken on each kebab when you are finished.
Press all the pieces tight together so they don’t separate in the cooking, then season well and brush with a little olive oil. Grill or barbecue on a high heat for at least 10 minutes on each side. Ensure the food is thoroughly cooked, by checking that that all juice’s run clear.
Serve on a bed of Basmati rice (For a special rice, cook in a pot with cinnamon sticks and add toasted pine nuts and pistachios nuts at the end)
Garnish with coriander.
SUMMER
BEEF
BURGERS
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 dtsp Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, diced
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
600 g / 1 lb 5 oz Lean Minced Beef
1 tblsp Sage, chopped
1 Large Egg, beaten
1 Whole Garlic Clove, peeled
Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Black Pepper
For the Garnish
2 Hamburger Buns, halved
1 Large Beef Tomato, sliced into 4 thick slices
2 Sweet Green Gherkins, sliced lengthways
Low Fat Mayonnaise
Flat Leaf Parsley
Method
Before you start handling any food, remember to wash your hands. Sweat the onion and garlic in a frying pan with some oil for approximately 2 minutes on a medium heat. Leave the mixture to cool completely and then place in a large bowl. Add the mince, sage and egg. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into 4 thick burgers (Use some flour on your hands to prevent the meat sticking) Keep cool in the fridge until ready to cook.
When ready to cook the burgers light the barbecue. When it’s hot place the burgers on top and cook for at least 25 minutes, turning occasionally.
Alternatively you could cook the burgers in a hot frying pan with some olive oil for at least 10-12 minutes each side. Ensure that the burgers are thoroughly cooked, by checking that that all juice’s run clear.
While the burgers are cooking toast the burger buns on the Barbie or in a toaster. Rub the clove of garlic over the ‘inside’ of the bun to give it a garlic flavour and drizzle with a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Place a slice of tomato on the garlic side of the burger and season with salt and pepper. When cooked place the hot burger on top and garnish with a couple of slices of gherkin, a small dollop of low fat mayonnaise and some flat leaf parsley.
BARBECUE
CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS
Serves 4
Ingredients
16 Chicken Drumsticks
For the Marinade
1 1/2 tblsp Tomato Ketchup or 1 1/2 tblsp Tomato Puree
1 tblsp Soy Sauce
1 tblsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 tblsp Honey
1 1/2 tblsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Wholegrain Mustard
1 tsp
1
Salt and Black Pepper
Method
Before you start handling any food, remember to wash
your hands.
Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl and season well with salt and pepper.
Place the chicken drumsticks into the bowl and stir around until all the drumsticks are coated with the sauce.
Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least a couple of hours or preferably overnight.
Light the barbecue and when it’s hot place chicken pieces on top.
Cook them for at least 25 minutes turning them occasionally making sure that they cook evenly on all sides and that the meat is cooked through to the bone.
Ensure the food is thoroughly cooked, by checking that that all juice’s run clear.
Alternatively to cook in the kitchen, place the chicken pieces on a baking tray and cook in a hot oven (1908C / Gas 5) for approximately 25-30 minutes.
