If you’re aiming to have a bank holiday barbecue in the garden or park, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has come up with some advice to help make it a safe success.

Many people in command of the barbecue will not be those who are normally in charge in the kitchen, so the simple advice shows how food can be prepared safely in advance and so cut the risk of spreading barbecue bugs.

Cases of food poisoning almost double during the summer, and research shows that the undercooking of raw meat and the contamination of bacteria onto the food we eat are among the main reasons.

The top tips include:

  • Pre-cook the meat or poultry in the oven first and then finish it off on the barbecue for flavour.
  • Charred doesn’t mean cooked – make sure that burgers, sausages, chicken and all meats are properly cooked by cutting into the meat and checking that it is steaming hot, not pink and any juices run clear.
  • Disposable barbecues take longer – always check that your meat is cooked right through.
  • Avoid cross-contamination by storing raw meat separately before cooking, use different utensils, plates and chopping boards for raw and cooked food.
  • Don’t wash raw chicken or other meat, it just splashes germs.

Find out more about the FSA’s top tips at: food.gov.uk/lovebbq