Food Focus November 2008

Let’s go al fresco!

Ah summer… don’t you just love it? Those long lazy days, the endless blue skies, the cacophony of cicadas, and of course the gorgeous smell of food sizzling on the barbecue. Then there’s the vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps that can follow if you’re not careful!

It’s often been said that food outdoors always tastes better, but the fact is that outdoors is also away from the kitchen – that hygienic environment with its clean bench tops, fridge/freezer and clean, potable water. The great outdoors can easily turn out to be not so great if you don’t take some simple precautions.

Over summer, the risk of suffering a food-borne illness is considerably increased, mainly because temperatures are higher, people eat in larger groups, and we all like to go for picnics and barbecues. An estimated 200,000 cases of foodborne illness are contracted in New Zealand each year. Of these cases, up to 40% are estimated to be caused by unsafe food handling in the home. With numbers like that, taking those simple precautions might be a good plan.

Barbecues

With barbecues, the greatest risk to food safety comes from raw or undercooked meat and from cross-contamination – storing or preparing cooked meat next to raw meat or ready-to-eat foods.

Raw meat can contain pathogens, which are usually killed during cooking. However, if the raw meat touches, or drips on to, food that is already cooked or ready to eat, such as hams and salads, the pathogens can be quickly transferred. They can also be transferred via your hands, chopping board, knife or tongs – so it’s important these are kept clean.

Picnics

Picnics and other occasions where food is to be prepared and served away from home also dictate that you take some basic precautions.

A chilly bag or bin with plenty of slicker pads is essential if you’re planning a picnic but don’t transfer your picnic food and icepacks from the fridge to the chilly bin until you’re about to set off. Keep the lid on the chilly bin until you need to take food out and then put the lid back on. Use separate bags or bins for hot and cold foods.

Don’t pack food for a picnic if it has just been cooked and is still warm. Chilly bins cannot cool food quickly enough to prevent bacteria growing, so cover pre-prepared foods securely and keep in the refrigerator overnight. (Other perishable foods and drinks, such as deli products, cooked chicken and dairy products must also be cold when put in the chilly bin.) Keep all foods covered to protect them from flies and insects, till just before you’re ready to eat, and try and keep your picnic food in the shade.

Wicker picnic baskets should only be used for non-perishable items such as bread, crackers, nuts, and plates, cutlery and napkins.

If town water is not available, always boil it before drinking. Carry disposable wipes in case there’s no water for hand washing (but don’t leave them lying around as litter).

Kaimoana

If you’re going fishing or gathering kaimoana, take extra care when transporting your catch:

• use a clean chilly bin with fresh, clean icepacks

• keep shellfish wet at a steady temperature of 5–7°C

• discard any shellfish that are dead and gaping (ie, they won’t close by themselves when tapped).

The leftovers

Holiday meals often result in some tasty leftovers, which can make for easy catering the following day, but again because of the higher summer temperatures, take some extra care:

• refrigerate or freeze any leftovers within two hours of their preparation

• store leftover food in a shallow container in your fridge (this will ensure it chills quickly and evenly)

• don’t reheat leftovers more than once

• eat leftovers within two days

• when in doubt – throw it out.

10 tips for barbecue food safety

1. Defrost any frozen foods thoroughly before you cook them, and check that they are cooked right through before serving.

2. Don’t place or prepare raw meat next to cooked or partially cooked meat or other ready-to-eat foods.

3. Cook minced meat burgers and sausages thoroughly (right through to the centre) and cook poultry until the juices run clear.

4. Turn the food regularly so it cooks evenly.

5. If you’re expecting lots of guests, consider cooking the food in a conventional oven or microwave first then finishing it off on the barbecue.

6. Before you serve it, ensure the centre of the meat is piping hot – don’t assume that if it’s charred on the outside it will be cooked thoroughly on the inside.

7. Keep raw and cooked meat and poultry separate on the grill.

8. Don’t use the same plate to transport raw and cooked foods.

9. If you leave cooked meat to remain warm on a corner of the barbecue for late arrivals, don’t keep it for too long and ensure it’s protected from flies.

10. Handle food with tongs or other equipment, and use separate equipment to handle raw and cooked meats.

The 4Cs

Whether summer holiday al fresco dining or preparing food at any other time of the year, if you follow the 4Cs you’ll most likely keep those nasty foodborne illnesses at bay. It’s easy – just remember Clean, Cook, Cover, Chill.

Clean

• Wash hands with soap and water and dry with a clean towel before handling food. Also wash and dry hands after handling raw meat and poultry, going to the toilet, changing nappies, handling pets and gardening.

• Wash knives and utensils and scrub chopping boards between preparation of raw and cooked foods.

• Keep your fridge clean.

Cook

• Defrost frozen foods thoroughly before cooking.

• Never leave hot food to cool longer than two hours before putting it in the fridge.

• Pre-cook minced meat (ie, hamburgers), sausages and poultry before barbecuing.

• Cook minced meat (hamburgers) and sausages thoroughly until all meat is no longer pink. Cook poultry until juices run clear. Preferably use a meat thermometer.

Cover

• Keep all foods covered in the fridge, in the cupboard and outdoors to prevent contamination.

• Keep raw meat and poultry covered and away from ready-to-eat food, fruit and vegetables.

• When cooking outdoors, ensure that all food remains covered until ready to cook or eat.

Chill

• Ensure your fridge is operating at a temperature between 0–4°C.

• Keep raw meats and poultry in the bottom of the fridge to ensure their juices don’t drip on to other food.

• Keep all perishable foods in the fridge until you are ready to use them.

• When picnicking, keep food cool by using frozen chilly pads and a chilly bin.

• Marinate food in the fridge, not on the bench.