Barbecue Safety
One of the nation’s favorite pastimes is throwing a little shrimp on the barbie. The delicious aroma of barbecuing mixed with a little fair weather fun is one of the most perfect ways to relax. However, grilling can also be dangerous if the proper preparations are not made and the proper precautions are not taken. To ensure the safety of all of your guests, it is therefore important to follow a few barbecue tips for a safer experience. Let’s look at a few:
Follow Proper Food Preparation, Handling and Temperature Control
One of the most important ways to ensure your guests remain safe is to carefully watch your own food preparation. There are many food handling techniques that should be watched, including the following:
• All raw meats should be kept frozen or refrigerated if not ready to be grilled.
• Meat should be defrosted in the refrigerator.
• All meats should be cooked to the proper internal temperature.
• Marinades should never be reused, and marinating should occur in the refrigerator.
• Never mix the juices of uncooked meats with other foods: surfaces should always be wiped down with soap and hot water between preparations, and extra caution should be taken when working with chicken.
• Plates that held uncooked meats should be immediately washed or put in the dishwasher to avoid confusion when plating occurs.
• Always wash your hands after handling raw meats.
Ensure Your BBQ is in Proper Working Order
Another great tip in grilling safety is to make sure your grill is working properly. Check that gas tanks, gas lines, igniters, grates, stands, legs and other grill parts are in good working order.
Rusted areas should be checked over carefully to ensure that the rust has not destabilized the grill and that rust cannot contaminate food. Grates and other surface areas should fit the grill well, and tanks/gas lines should not be rusty or faulty in any way. Additionally, igniters should work well: a faulty igniter could cause any number of injuries.
Know Your BBQ
Whether you have a gas or charcoal grill, a large barbecue smoker or an open flame grill pit, you should always know how your grill works best. This means that you should read the directions any time you get a new grill. The differences between operating one gas grill and another similar grill can be plentiful, so reading up on the safety standards with your model can save you time, headaches and injuries.
Use the Correct Utensils
Buying utensils made for grilling can save you from burning your hands and arms. While kitchen spatulas may accomplish the task, the dangers of using the short utensil over an open flame are much more prevalent than if using the longer, heavier duty, wood-encased grilling utensils.
BBQing can be the most fun part of any outdoor occasion, but if not handled correctly, can be dangerous to you and your guests. However, ensuring you handle food properly, check your bbq for dangers, read the directions and use the right utensils can keep you and your guests from being injured or from experiencing food poisoning.
Barry Spud
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