Barbecues blamed for increase in food poisoning in Lancashire (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Barbecues blamed for increase in food poisoning in Lancashire

1:00am Monday 9th June 2008 in News By Tom Moseley, Reporter

HEALTH bosses are warning people to beware of harmful germs as barbecue season approaches.

Yesterday's fine weather saw people across East Lancashire dining outdoors, and forecasters say a hot summer could arrive by the middle of this month.

But thousands of people across the area suffered food poisoning last year, and there are fears of an increase over the summer.

Figures show 2,569 people in Lancashire and Cumbria had food poisoning in 2007. Of these, 2,211 caught campylobacter, found in poultry and raw meats, and 358 caught salmonella, which has similar symptoms of vomiting.

Dr Stephen Morton, director of the Health Protection Agency in Lancashire, said: "We tend to see increases in gastro-intestinal illnesses when we have prolonged spells of warmer weather.

"This is partly due to people bringing out the barbecue and paying less attention to food safety advice. It's easier to get caught out in the summer when warm conditions can encourage the growth of bacteria."

Dr Morton said many infections could be avoided by taking simple food hygiene steps, like washing hands before and after cooking and using separate equipment to chop meat and vegetables.

The Health Protection Agency is organising National Food Safety Week, which starts today.

Food poisoning expert Dr Roger Gross said: "Food can be contam-inated at any stage, but there are simple rules we can all follow to eliminate or minimise risks.

"Our goal for National Food Safety Week is to give people the information they need to safely prepare, cook, savour and enjoy food, whether in the home or al fresco at a barbecue or picnic."

>> Top tips for avoiding food poisoning

• Store foods at the correct temperature. Bacteria can thrive in warmer temperatures, so keep fridges lower than 5 degrees centigrade.

• Thoroughly defrost raw meat and poultry in the fridge before cooking.

• Keep raw meat and poultry well away from food that will not be cooked, like bread and salads.

• Use separate knives and chopping boards for raw foods.

• A barbecue should be lit long before use to ensure that the grill is hot enough to cook food through.

• Roasts and large joints of meat or poultry will not cook on the barbecue. It is safer to prepare these larger products indoors in an oven.