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HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
How to barbecue safely
The summer is finally here ! But if you ’ re planning on a barbecue , it pays to be careful , especially if you want to avoid food poisoning .
Barbecues can be great fun , but it ’ s all too easy to make yourself unwell
In the UK , a million people a year suffer from food poisoning , with barbecue season being one of the biggest culprits . Most food poisoning is caused by a bacteria called Campylobacter and according to the Food Standards Agency , it is present in more than 65 % of chickens on sale in the UK . A recent survey even found it on 6 % of the outside packaging of supermarket chickens . So what ’ s the best way to avoid getting sick this summer ? Here are some tips :
Keep your food preparation area clean and tidy . Use separate utensils to handle raw food , food that ’ s being cooked , and food that ’ s ready to eat .
When it comes to chicken , it ’ s a very good idea to cook it in the oven prior to giving it a final ‘ finish ’ on your barbecue .
Cook your food thoroughly . It needs to be piping hot . If you ’ re unsure , cook it for longer . Everyone loves the burnt bits anyway !
Disposable barbecues take longer to heat up and to cook food than a gas barbecue . Give it time , there ’ s no rush .
The most at risk from all the barbecue bugs are children and older people , so look after them . Keep plates and cutlery well away from raw food .
For more top tips , visit food . gov . uk
Podcasts
Podcasts are free radio talk shows that you can listen to online or download to your smartphone . There are hundreds of podcasts for every topic - here are our favourites about health and wellbeing :
Sawbones Discussion about a different medical ailment each week
Tiny Leaps , Big Changes Insightful advice on anxiety , stress and motivation
The Hilarious World of Depression Interviews with comedians about their own mental health issues
Turkey Couscous
You will need turkey slices , salad leaves , couscous , pomegranate seeds .
Tear the turkey up and add to the salad and couscous . Drizzle with olive oil . Toss well . Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds .