With many people planning to cook outdoors over the next month, Safefood and home chef Marcus O’Laoire are sharing practical advice to help home cooks prepare food safely and confidently on the grill.
New research from Safefood reveals that while the vast majority of people (84% ) are concerned about food poisoning, only 16% of respondents use a meat thermometer when cooking burgers, 10% for sausages and 26% for chicken breasts.
To take the guesswork out of barbecuing, Safefood is encouraging hosts to use a meat thermometer. By ensuring that barbecue favourites like burgers, sausages, chicken, pork and kebabs reach a core temperature of 75°C, this thorough cooking kills the bacteria that cause foodpoisoning.
The Safefood survey also found that almost nine out of 10 people (87% ) admit to cooking meat or poultry for longer than necessary just to be sure it’s fully cooked - which can result in dry, tough meat.The survey highlights a significant gap in how we use thermometers for different types of meat.
While over half of Irish cooks (55% ) use a thermometer for a whole chicken or turkey, usage is exceptionally low for barbecue favourites such as sausages, burgers and chicken breasts—foods that pose a high food safety risk if not thoroughly cooked all the way through.
Marcus O’Laoire, Home Chef and Safefood Ambassador, explains how simple habits can ensure a safe and successful bank holiday weekend:
"August is a busy time for get-togethers and naturally, people want to ensure the food they serve is safe. Using a meat thermometer is simple and offers peace of mind. For smaller barbecue items like burgers or sausages, insert the thermometer probe horizontally through the side of the meat rather than straight down from the top, ensuring the tip sits right in the very centre.
"Just wait for it to read 75°C and you know it’s safe to serve.Keep food safety in mind before the meat even hits the grill. Always thaw your meat completely in the fridge on the bottom shelf before cooking and keep your raw meats entirely separate from ready-to-eat foods like salads and burger buns. Finally, make sure to wash the thermometer probe with hot, soapy water after each measurement to prevent cross-contamination," he said.
The research found that while people are concerned about food poisoning, the main reasons they avoid using a meat thermometer include not knowing how to use it, being unsure of the correct temperatures to look for or believing it is a tool only meant for professionals. Despite these barriers, there is a clear appetite for change, as over half of those surveyed (53% ) said that knowing their food was safely cooked would encourage them to use one, and 36% indicated they are very likely to buy a meat thermometer in the future.
Trish Twohig, Director of Food Safety at Safefood, added: "Cooking outdoors on a barbecue presents unique challenges because of uneven heat and open flames. The outside of a burger or chicken breast can quickly look charred, while the inside remains undercooked. A meat thermometer is a helpful way to ensure you have killed off harmful food poisoning bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella, without having to overcook your food.”
To support home cooks over the bank holiday, Safefood has published a series of short "how-to" videos across their social media platforms, demonstrating the correct way to use a thermometer on different barbecue cuts. For more information, visit safefood.net or follow Safefood on Facebook (@safefood.net ), Instagram (@safefood ) and TikTok (@safefood.net )
Safefood’s Top Tips for a Safe Barbecue:
Clean the grill thoroughly before the first use of the season and rinse with hot, soapy water after each subsequent use.
Never cook straight from the freezer. Always thaw meat fully in the fridge, covered and on a plate placed on the bottom shelf to prevent juices dripping onto other foods.
Light the barbecue early and wait until charcoal flames have died down and turned to a glowing grey ash before you start cooking.
Prevent cross-contamination by washing hands before and after handling raw food, using separate utensils and plates for raw and cooked foods and never reusing raw-meat marinades on cooked food.
Keep sides cold. Keep salads, dips and coleslaw in the fridge until the exact moment you are ready to eat.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, eat within 3 days and reheat only once until piping hot.
If you do not have a meat thermometer handy, use the 3 visual checks. Pierce the thickest part of the meat with a fork or skewer and check that:
The juices run clear
It is piping hot (steaming ) all the way through
There is no pink meat.
