Beat the barbecue tummy bug (From Basingstoke Gazette)
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Risks from undercooked meat
1:00pm Wednesday 29th August 2012 in Local By Emily Roberts, Chief Reporter
THE NHS in Hampshire has its own recommendations for avoiding bad stomachs after barbecues.
Gastroenteritis is an infection of the stomach and bowel that affects around one in five people in England every year. But during the summer months cases can double because of poor food safety on the barbecue.
The two main risks are undercooked meat and spreading germs from raw meat onto food that is ready to eat.
Niall Ferguson, an associate medical director with the Southampton, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth Primary Care Trust Cluster, said: “Most cases of gastroenteritis are mild. The safest option is to cook food indoors using your oven and then put the cooked food outside on the barbecue at the end for flavour. This can also be an easier option if you’re cooking for a lot of people at the same time.
“Never assume that because meat is charred on the outside it will be cooked properly on the inside.”
The majority of gastroenteritis cases will get better within a few days without the need for treatment. For more information visit http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Gastroenteritis/Pages/Introduction.aspx .
