Council experts cooked up a fun and informative awareness-raising roadshow during Food Safety Week.
Environmental Health officers took to the streets to show residents how to ensure they protected themselves and others when it came to preparing food – especially as temperatures soared and thousands of barbecues were dusted off!
They spent time in Asda, Aberdare, Tesco in Talbot Green and Co-Op in Tonypandy this month, cooking up their own barbecued treats to show residents how it should be done, demonstrating food hygiene, safe storage of food, preparation and ensuring it is cooked thoroughly.
The number of food poisoning cases soar in the hot weather – with an extra 120,000 cases of illness and food poisoning recorded across the UK when the weather is warmer.
However, many of these cases can be avoided altogether if a few simple tips are followed – as was the case during Food Safety Week.
Cllr Mike Forey, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Environmental Health, added: “There is no cause for people to be unduly concerned about food poisoning, as long as they take advantage of the free help and information offered by our experts.
“They have taken to the streets to mark Food Safety Week this month, but remain on hand to offer residents and food premises alike the information and guidance they need to ensure food safety remains top of the menu.”
Bob Martin, a food safety expert at the Food Standards Agency, concluded: “Proper cooking will kill food bugs.
“It’s especially important to make sure poultry, pork, burgers and sausages are cooked all the way through – if there are pink meat or juices that have pink or red in them, germs could be lurking! Check your food is steaming hot all the way through before serving.
“Avoiding cross-contamination is also extremely important, that is preventing bacteria from spreading between foods and from contaminated surfaces or utensils. Make sure you store raw meat covered and at the bottom of the fridge, below and away from ready-to-eat food. Never use the same chopping board for raw meat and ready-to-eat foods without washing the board and knife thoroughly first.”
For more advice on food safety go to eatwell.gov.uk/keepingfoodsafe
