Many people like barbecuing.
However, if we do not handle food properly during barbecuing,
it may cause food poisoning. It is important to follow
the tips in shopping, preparation, cooking, eating and
storage of barbecued food to enhance food safety.
Shopping
Take frozen and refrigerated
food, like meat and poultry last, right before checkout
Separate raw meat and
poultry from other food to prevent cross-contamination
Check expiry date on
the package and the package of BBQ packs
Preparation before barbecuing
Clean the racks, trays
or grilling utensils thoroughly before and after barbecuing
Start barbecuing only
when the coals, ovens or grilling utensils reach the
cooking temperature to reduce the time of barbecuing
When you prepare food
for barbecuing at home ¡V
Defrost food completely
to avoid undercooking of the interior
Defrost food in refrigerator,
running water or microwave oven and avoid defrosting
food at room temperature
Keep prepared food refrigerated
until we cook it
Barbecuing
Keep all food covered
to prevent cross-contamination
Avoid prolonged exposure
of food under sunshine and keep food cold by using ice-packs
Cook meat thoroughly
to destroy harmful bacteria
Serving
Separate raw food and
cooked food to avoid cross-contamination
Use clean platter and
utensil when serving
Eat cooked food as soon
as it is ready
Does
eating barbecued meat pose increased cancer risk?
Recent studies show that
a cancer-causing compound, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs), can be produced when barbecued meat is not processed
properly. Therefore, we should not overindulge in barbecued
food and take a balanced diet. If we go for barbecuing,
we can take the following precautions to reduce the risk
¡V
Choose lean meat rather
than meat with high-fat content;
Trim visible fat to avoid
dripping onto the heat source;
Pre-cook food partially
by microwave oven or boiling to reduce cooking time
for barbecuing
Avoid barbecuing food
immediately above the heat source to prevent direct
contact of food with the heat source and dripping onto
the heat source
Prevent charring
Grill food in foil packets
to avoid contamination from smoke and flame
Remove any burnt portions
For related
information, please contact the Communication Resource
Unit.
Tel.: 23816096
Address: 8-F, Fa
Yuen Street Municipal Services Building,
123A Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon.
Last
review date: 19-01-2005