When you are catering outdoors, there are some special things you need to look out for to protect your customers, in addition to all the normal food hygiene rules.
For hygiene advice for the public on barbecues and summer parties, go to our Food Safety at Home section - see Related Pages.
When barbecuing, the most important things are to make sure that raw meat is handled carefully and cooked properly.
Remember, even if the meat is charred on the outside, it might not be properly cooked in the middle.
It is very important to cook poultry, pork, burgers, sausages and kebabs until they are piping hot all the way through, with no pinkness left.
Light the barbecue well in advance, making sure you use enough charcoal. Wait until it is glowing red with a powdery grey surface before starting to cook
Move food around the barbecue and turn it regularly, to ensure even cooking
If you are cooking large amounts, you could start to cook raw meat on one barbecue and then move it onto another one when it is partially cooked, to help reduce the risk of cross-contamination
To ensure thorough cooking, you could cook meat indoors and finish it off on the barbecue for added flavour
When you are cooking or serving outdoors, and working out of your usual routine, you should be especially careful to avoid cross-contamination.
Always wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat
Use separate tongs for raw and cooked meat
Never put cooked food on a plate that has been used for raw meat
Keep raw meat away from ready-to-eat foods, such as salads, sandwiches and desserts
Do not put raw meat products next to cooked or partially cooked meat on the barbecue
Do not add sauce or marinade to cooked food if it has already been used with raw meat
