People in Clackmannanshire are being urged to take care when cooking on the barbecue to avoid food-borne illness.
Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is sharing its advice with Wee County residents ahead of what could be this year’s last weekend of summer sunshine.
Those who love a barbecue are being advised to keep themselves, their kitchens and barbecues clean and to wash and dry their hands thoroughly before preparing food and after touching raw meat.
Germs like Campylobacter, thought to be responsible for more than half of the cases of food poisoning in Scotland, Salmonella and E. Coli O157:H7 can be killed by thorough cooking.
Cross-contamination is one of the major causes of food poisoning, consumers are being advised to keep raw meat and unwashed vegetables separate from ready-to-eat food during storage and preparation and don’t let raw meat drip into other food, keep it in sealed containers in the bottom of the fridge.
The majority of fresh chickens sold by major retailers are contaminated with Campylobacter and new FSS research shows that a third of adults believe washing chicken before its cooked is the best way to make sure it’s safe to eat, but this practice can spread germs and bugs.
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